Class of '62 Student Enrichment Fund Event
Campus visit by Sharon McMahon
September 6, 2024
Since growing up in Duluth, Minnesota, Sharon McMahon has had a fascinating life on the road to being known as “America’s Government Teacher.”
As Sharon says on her website, “My mission is simple: I aim to cover daily headlines, break down national political coverage and biases, and extract the facts . . . I’m committed to using nonpartisan facts as my guide. I break down tough-to-follow political headlines and events through daily news briefings, thought-provoking conversations, historical context, and humor.”
The jump start to her current career came in the form of the 2020 election. She said, “I was reading online posts of people who had so much misinformation about what was going on with the election, including one man who thought that a person could actually attend the Electoral College as a student.”
She added, “I decided to do a short simple video explaining how the Electoral College actually works. That brought many people’s questions for me about other aspects of government and how things work.”
Sharon was fielding questions about everything from the certification of the electoral votes to the transfer of power. Beginning in the fall of 2020, TV and radio stations all over the country started getting in touch, wanting to know more about her, and what she thought was going to happen with the election.
She also started getting requests to teach workshops on the Constitution and the history of Congress. That led to her teaching Zoom classes.
Appearances on shows such as the Today Show and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and interviews in publications like the Washington Post and The Atlantic, gained her even more recognition.
The event consisted of
a breakfast attended by Ms. McMahon and selected faculty and students
a one-hour Q&A session with Ms. McMahon and selected students
a program in Eppley auditorium moderated by the CMA Regimental Commander and the GGA Senior Prefect
It was attended by 3 classmates: Bill Cleavenger, Lou Desenberg, and Tom Westbrook.
L to R: Bill Cleavenger, Sharon McMahon, Lou Desenberg, Tom Westbrook
Bill considered her to be very energetic and engaging, but was surprised by limited number of questions during the student Q&A session; he talked with a second classman who felt the speaker’s message was of most benefit to foreign students. Lou felt the speaker was well received by the students and kept the talk politically neutral; he appreciated that she focused on how our Democracy (Republic) was designed to work, rather than its current issues.
For more details, see the article published in the Culver Cannon.
CLASS OF 1962 STUDENT ENRICHMENT FUND EVENT FEEDBACK
Speaker – Sharon McMahon
September 6, 2024
As compiled by Alan Loehr, Director of Stewardship
Faculty Feedback
“Ms. McMahon was a wonderful model of a learned, informed, and humble presenter. He appreciated that there was very little, if any, partisan spin to her talking points, but provided a healthy base and backdrop for further community discussion on politics, feeling that in this partisan era, that is no easy feat.”
— John Rogers, Master Instructor of Humanities
“Sharon's visit reinforced our expectations that people engage in political conversations with curiosity before judgment and a call for people to look for deep understandings before accepting superficial claims without examination.”
— Mike Payne, Senior Instructor of Humanities
Student Feedback
“I thoroughly enjoyed Sharon McMahon’s visit! Her presence cultivated an environment that fostered curiosity and understanding, rather than contention.”
— Noa Shafeek-Horton, CGA ‘25
“Sharon McMahon brought government to life in a way I never expected. Her passion for the subject was contagious, and she made even the most complex topics feel approachable and relevant. She didn’t just teach us about the Constitution or federalism—she wove in real-life stories and examples that made the material feel alive. I left the session with a new appreciation for the nuances of American government. What stood out to me was how Sharon encouraged us to think critically about government systems. It wasn’t just about memorizing facts—it was about asking tough questions and understanding how the system works on a deeper level. Her way of breaking down complex ideas made everything click.”
— Anika Jyothinagaram, CGA ‘25