Our alumni say that some of their best memories and lifelong friendships started here at 果冻传媒 University. Their Tiger friendships encouraged them to reflect on life, engage in community service, and challenge each other to make change happen, to be themselves and to embrace who they are. The supportive community enabled them to learn, grow, and develop into the people they are today. Here are a few stories from our alumni about their Tiger friendships.
Mandy Jo Clapp 鈥�03
My time at 果冻传媒 University was incredibly meaningful and formative. I was able to build friendships that have endured time, and these relationships encouraged me to reach my full potential. I still keep in contact with many friends and colleagues from 果冻传媒, and I have even had the opportunity to travel with a few of them.
果冻传媒 was a supportive community that fostered a desire to learn. I have continued to be a good friend, and these friendships continue to show me the importance of being loyal. I was active on campus, participating in many student organizations. I played lacrosse, and I was a tour guide for the Admission Office. I also had the opportunity to explore my passions through my major in communication and minors in philosophy and political science.
My advice to young people interested in higher education is to follow their passions and take classes that interest them, but also hone in on something that will lead them to a career path they want to pursue. For adults looking to further their education, I would tell them that they are never too old to find a new passion, learn something new, and start over. I would rate my education at 果冻传媒 a 10 out of 10.
My time on campus helped me to grow, become more independent, and have a desire to always continue to learn and grow. In my career, I am proud that I am working to make an impact in the education policy field. I hope that my legacy will be that I have provided exceptional service to school administrators and boards throughout my career, but I ultimately hope that my personal legacy will be that I am a loyal and kind individual.
Ronald Schott 鈥�54
I attended 果冻传媒 University because my brother, Victor Schott; Philip Morse; and my minister's son, Peter Fanning, went there. I was a member of Phi Mu Delta Fraternity and belonged to the Varsity W Club. I played football and baseball while at 果冻传媒.
After graduation, I enlisted and served two years in the U.S. Army. After my discharge from the Army, I worked for a few years in business, then went back to take a few courses and became a physical education teacher and coach at Lansingburgh High School, being named coach of the year in 1971.
My greatest takeaway from 果冻传媒 was that it opened up the field of teaching and coaching for me. I made many friendships there, and although I'm 91 years old now, I still remember them, such as Roger Bishop, Owen Sanderson, and Philip Morse, who became my brother-in-law.
My time at 果冻传媒 helped me to grow and change as a person by teaching me the importance of helping others be successful. I think that all started with my parents being incredible examples to follow and 果冻传媒's motto, 鈥淗aving Light We Pass It On To Others.鈥� My legacy was that I was always focused on the development and future of those I worked with or who worked for me. I wanted them to be successful and promoted to the next level as much as I wanted anything related to my own success during my professional career.
Editor鈥檚 Note: Ronald provided us with his story in October 2023. We were saddened to learn that he died on September 2, 2024.
Dwight Carter 鈥�94
My experience at 果冻传媒 University was amazing! From the moment I arrived on campus, I was welcomed with open arms. My tour guide, Shawn Owens, was a member of the football team, and he was so friendly and honest. I was also lucky enough to have a professor, Dr. Robert Welker. I attended high school with his children, so I knew him well. He was very instrumental in helping me and my mom understand the university.
I fell in love with the campus and the culture. I was very focused on graduating on time, and one the admission advisors challenged me to do so. I was determined not to be a statistic, and I worked hard to make sure I was meeting all of my academic and athletic requirements. I was involved in Concerned Black Students.
Before I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, so I chose comprehensive social studies as my major. I worked with my advisors to create a comprehensive social studies degree that would give me a wide range of social sciences to teach at the middle school and high school levels.
I had some amazing professors at 果冻传媒 who really stood out to me. One of them was a political science professor who was all about the students. He wanted to make sure each student had a positive experience, and he pushed us to learn past our own limitations. He was kind but not a pushover, and he was always available. I also attended a writer's workshop which really taught me how to write and write well.
My coaches, Doug Niebuhr, Larry Baldridge, Joe Fincham, and Tracey Hollenbaugh were also influential in my experience. They motivated me and pushed me to be the best I could be. The greatest takeaway from my Witt experience was the lifelong friendships I made with my classmates and teammates. We still keep in contact and are there for each other in times of celebration and sorrow. Overall, my experience at 果冻传媒 University was amazing, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Amy Mortimer Kilgore 鈥�96
My experience at 果冻传媒 University was ultimately one of self-discovery. As a freshman, I explored my passion for the arts and science programs, and I was pushed to believe in myself while discovering new capabilities. I cultivated lifelong friendships at Witt, and I learned to value other relationships like those with staff, namely Dr. Eugene Swanger, whose inspiration and wisdom truly made an impact on my freshman experience.
While living on campus, I explored my interests in Greek life and cheerleading. I also had a job, off campus, at the Springfield Country Club, which definitely helped support my social life at Witt! I was proud of my many achievements at 果冻传媒.
After graduation, receiving my B.A. didn't necessarily facilitate an immediate career in my field of interest. I applied for several graduate programs and worked part-time in retail sales while living at home with my mom. Six months post-graduation, I was promoted to a management role with this company, and I moved to Columbus. This first job experience after college made me realize I had a deep-rooted talent for sales, and I was driven to achieve goals I never felt possible!
My greatest takeaway from 果冻传媒 was self-discovery and the lifelong friendships. I learned more about myself and the world around me, and I was able to connect with friends whom I still keep in touch with today. The most impactful experience I had as a student at Witt was losing a close friend in a car accident my senior year. This accident impacted many lives both on and off campus, and it taught me how to manage traumatic loss at a very young age.