Madison Byrket

Madison Byrket ’25 didn’t come to Knox intending to be a philosophy major. As she was exploring options for her major, Professor of Philosophy Brandon Polite ’03 stopped her after class and asked her when she would finally declare her philosophy major. That was Byrket’s sign to chart a path forward and embrace this new discipline.

“It was something that I just felt really passionate about from the start, and it was something that made a lot of sense to me—I never dreaded going to class,” she explained. “I was always interested in hearing what other students had to say in the conversations that we would have.” 

Byrket plans to use the analytical tools that she has developed in her future career, developing and analyzing both her own and other’s arguments on a variety of matters. She hopes to enter the marketing world and specialize in social media marketing. 

With her part-time responsibilities at the Galesburg Antiques Mall, Byrket has also spent time exploring social media and its possibilities. As the president of the Knox Tri Delta Epsilon Chapter, Byrket has also furthered her skills as a leader. Byrket says she can’t imagine herself without the people and the support system within Tri Delta. “It just felt like a place where I was meant to be,” she said. “It didn't feel like I was meeting a bunch of strangers and trying to learn about them. It felt like we were already friends.” 

During her time at Tri Delta, Byrket has held several positions including the director of philanthropy, during which the chapter won a national award for philanthropic work. She believes that being in a sorority allowed her to venture into a variety of areas that she would not have been able to explore otherwise. She believes that her people skills are more refined and she can pick up conversations with anyone and resolve conflicts with more assuredness. "It is essentially like running a small business with people working towards a common goal," she explained. "It teaches you a lot."

As Byrket prepares to graduate, she is excited to try new things and make the most of her college experience. She enjoys volunteering with her friends and building relationships with her professors over her years at Knox. She hopes to spend her final months doing more of those things and having no regrets as she walks the stage. “I think it is important to let go and allow things to come to you,” Byrket said. “ Just say yes, even when you do not feel like it. You never know what is going to work, and what is not.”