Seniors (and ambitious juniors) at Wilson Hill take on a richly rewarding and formative task: researching, writing, and presenting a thesis for the consideration and critique of their teachers and peers. They not only craft a compelling argument but also prepare to thoughtfully address counterarguments in front of a live audience. 

A hallmark of classical Christian education and the capstone experience of a Wilson Hill education, the senior thesis is the culmination of a student’s years of study, and an experience that builds confidence and poise.  

Though demanding, our students would agree that developing and defending a position on a controversial issue from a biblical worldview equips them to engage others with clarity and grace, guided by the truth of God’s Word. 

To give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce an award-winning senior thesis, we talked to recent graduate Campbell Leiloglou about his experience developing and delivering “Foretastes of Glory: Christian Creativity and the Quest for Beauty,” which won first place in the Association of Classical Christian Schools 2025 Chrysostom Oratory Competition.

We begin with Part I of our conversation, focusing on how Campbell chose his topic and developed his thesis.

For people who have not listened to your thesis yet, can you summarize the crux of your argument? 

In contemporary Christianity, there is a lack of investment in aesthetics. You might not find adamant art opposers out there, but there is a gap in the Christian faith. We have this emphasis on truth and goodness, but we’ve forgotten about beauty. And I think that is a grievous error on the part of the church. We have to regain something that has been lost throughout the centuries and that is, how can we interact with, relate to, and glorify God through beauty? 

How did you select this topic for your thesis? 

I’ve always been deeply invested in the arts and passionate about creativity, but I never thought about doing a thesis on art until junior year. I looked around and saw that contemporary Christianity doesn’t share my sentiments. I found that extremely disturbing. As the church, we have lost something. I wanted to write a thesis that would inspire or exhort people to create and enjoy this wonderful world God has placed us in. 

All Wilson Hill classes help prepare students for the senior thesis, but when did your own preparation begin? 

For me, it began senior year. We submit our topic in the first two or three weeks of the senior thesis class. Making that final decision, “This is what I want to talk about,” is definitely difficult. But even after that, there’s a lot of refining. You have to take this massive idea—arts in the church—and hone it down to something concise, interesting, something you can argue. 

Many students start with expansive topics and face the challenge of narrowing them into a clear, concise argument. Where did you begin, and how did you approach that process practically?

Delving into research was my first step, and I realized there are so many facets to this argument I had never really considered before. I had to meld all of those together and turn that into something that’s narrow, concise, arguable. 

You have nine months to write, which feels like a long time. You’re going to write an enormous amount of material, but ultimately it’s a very short work. It’s not a book; this is like a chapter in a book. 

How did your class help you move your research forward and keep you on track throughout the year?

We had thesis writing groups in our class and used a shared Google Doc with weekly goals we needed to meet. Often, these were specific research tasks, like reading a chapter and collecting six quotes. We also had assignments that weren’t always graded but allowed Mr. Choi to check our progress and see how our projects were developing.

What challenged you the most in this process? 

Senior thesis is a very challenging endeavor, and for me, one of the hardest parts was losing inspiration. There were plenty of late nights and early mornings at my computer when I was wondering, Why am I doing this? Why do I care about art in the church? That was really challenging to overcome, and I could not do that alone. Talking with other people about my thesis and seeing them get excited about it helped. It’s a community project; it’s collaborative. Getting to interact with other people is ultimately what regenerated inspiration for me. 

How did you feel going into this process? 

I was terrified. I’ve been at Wilson Hill for a while, and I’ve watched my fair share of senior theses. Seniors always seem very mature and prepared and put together. They were the epitome of what I wanted to achieve. When I got to senior year, I didn’t feel how I presumed those seniors felt. But, somehow, over the course of the year, it just happened. You become that person—through prayer, dwelling on God’s word, working with the people around you. 

The goal is to build a winsome argument in support of your thesis statement, but as you researched, did any of your original ideas or beliefs change?

I didn’t drastically change my position on anything, but I realized there were so many more aspects to my position than I first thought. It was less about changing my mind and more about expanding my vision of the topic. 

In the first semester, you write your antithesis, which is where you argue the exact opposite. But some people were awakened to different views and ended up agreeing with their antithesis speech so much that they had to change their topics rather drastically.

With his topic chosen and his argument solidifying, Campbell entered the next phase of the thesis process. Look for Part 2 to learn how Wilson Hill prepared him to deliver a compelling presentation and what it was like to present his award-winning thesis at ACCS.

The senior thesis is just one way Wilson Hill prepares students for life beyond high school.
Discover the benefits of graduating from Wilson Hill.

Read part two to hear Campbell’s advice for students embarking on their own senior thesis and his experience presenting his award-winning thesis at ACCS. Watch his winning ACCS senior thesis here, along with Wilson Hill graduate Jillian Barr’s 2023 award-winning presentation.