This past Friday, Wittenberg embraced the Homecoming spirit in a new way. The Celebration of Lifelong Learning Panels allowed alumni to come back and talk to students about a variety of important topics. Not only is Homecoming a time of celebration, but it is a time to reflect on why Wittenberg is so amazing and shapes us into who we are. There were three panel sessions available to students in Bayley Auditorium, with focuses on separate topics.
The first panel had a focus on “how I gained the most out of my Wittenberg education,” focusing on the experiences from alumni that graduated in the last one to five years, along with how to take advantage of their Wittenberg education. In addition to their designated themes, there were also general questions about work-life balance, over-involvement, and how a liberal arts education sets you up for careers.
Panelists for the first session included: Lauren Cengel Casale, Alyssa Michaud, Maggie Muir, Beth Thomas and Katherine Tourzinsky. The alumni were able to offer advice regarding how to choose majors, be involved but not over-involved, and how to navigate life after Witt. With a wide array of majors and careers, the panelists provided diverse points of view as to how to utilize all Wittenberg has to offer. Maria Swearingen, ’18, said: “The panel was cool because it gave some diverse outlooks to life after Witt; I really resonated with the first speaker which was awesome.”
The other two panels focused on “what I learned along my career path,” and “what I did with my Wittenberg education.” Alumni speakers for the second panel focused on how they successfully navigated through their careers. The panelists included Kelly Eggers, Chad Morrison, Ted Trautman and Frank Wood. The panelists were able to identify how to overcome obstacles and setbacks while establishing a career, along with giving specific examples of workplace life within their careers.
The third panel addressing “what I did with my Wittenberg education,” included alumni: Brian May, Sarah Morrison, Hillary Strimple and William Sutter. These panelists’ conversation focused on how their Wittenberg degree led them to either grad school, a career, and the connections that helped them along the way. Bobbie Menke, ’18, shared that she “learned a lot from real life examples the alumni provided.”
There was also a networking event available following the panels where students could mingle and indulge in mocktails and appetizers while creating alumni connections.
