Otterbein Editorial Staff, Author at Otterbein University Towers

Otterbein Earns National Recognition for Student Voter Participation

Otterbein has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as a 2022 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting. This national designation recognizes colleges and universities for making intentional efforts to increase student voter participation. According to a report from the Institute of Democracy and Higher Education, 74% of Otterbein students voted in 2020 — 12.3% over the voting rate in 2016.

“Students on our campus are beginning to realize that voting is a way that they can voice their opinions and needs to the government. Students are realizing how much their voice matters,” said Lindsey Payton, co-coordinator of Raise Your Voice, a student-led, non-partisan group focused on voter education, engagement, and registration.

Cardinals Baseball Breaks MIT Record for Academic All-Americans

Otterbein Baseball is currently riding one of the most impressive streaks in all of college athletics, having achieved at least one Academic All-America selection for nine straight years. The Cardinals surpassed the previous record of seven, held by MIT, in the spring of 2021 and continue striving for new heights.

This run began roughly a decade ago when head coach George Powell and (now former) assistant John LaCorte made a conscious decision to focus recruiting efforts on higher academic prospects, who also happened to be talented on the baseball diamond.

The strategy has clearly paid off with the program earning four OAC titles and three NCAA appearances since 2016, in addition to multiple other players receiving countless academic awards at conference and district levels.

College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), rebranding itself to College Sports Communicators this past year, began the distinguished AAA program in 1952 to honor student-athletes across all divisions for combined success on the playing surface, in the classroom and throughout the community. To be eligible, you must hold a 3.0 cumulative GPA and reach sophomore academic/athletic standing.

Year-By-Year Look:

2022 - Luke Barber (1B)
2021 - Luke Barber (1B)
2020 - Luke Barber (1B)
2019 – Tim Snyder (CF)
2018 - Justin Feltner (C)
2017 – Caleb Norton (P) and Bryan Stopar (DH)
2016 - Tyler Kent (CF)
2015 - Ty Compton (DH)
2014 – Billy Harkenrider (LF)

Learn more at: otterbeincardinals.com

Classes of 1971 and 1972 Make an Impact During 50th Golden Reunions

Congratulations to last year’s Golden 50th Reunion Classes of 1971 and 1972 for their support of two worthy initiatives that are making a major impact on our students and Otterbein community. The Class of 1971 spearheaded the fundraising and efforts to establish the Community Garden Learning Pavilion (shown here during the ribbon-cutting ceremony this past fall), and in an effort to address the rising cost of college textbooks, the Class of 1972 created the Class of 1972 Textbook Affordability Endowment, which enables Courtright Memorial Library to purchase curriculum materials for students to use to reduce the costs of their curricular expenses.

To learn more about the upcoming Class of 1973 Golden Reunion fundraising efforts, please contact Kathleen Bonte at kbonte@otterbein.edu.

Meet the Advancement Team

We are excited to share that the Advancement team has added some wonderful colleagues in recent months to assist with alumni and family engagement, events and conferences, and serving the needs of our donors.

We’re proud to introduce you to the new Advancement team members you might see on campus or hear from in the future.

Justin Akers

Event & Technology Coordinator
Justin works closely with clients to arrange customized event venues and provides excellent audio and visual resources for both big and small events.

To book your next event, contact Justin at akers4@otterbein.edu.

Stephanie Clark

Senior Director of Development
Stephanie creates opportunities for alumni, parents, and friends of the University to make major transformational gifts through endowments, planned gifts, and scholarships.

Contact Stephanie at clark35@otterbein.edu.

Marcus Fowler

Director of Alumni & Family Programs
Marcus directs, improves, and expands alumni and family engagement programs, both in-person and virtual, and works with the Young Alumni Board, Student Alumni Board, and long-established 50th Golden Reunion programs.

Contact Marcus at fowler6@otterbein.edu.

Carley King, ’22

Annual Giving Program Coordinator
Carley manages the Student Engagement Officers and strengthens campus philanthropy through the Student Alumni Board, Senior Class Gift, and faculty and staff giving programs.

Contact Carley at at king3@otterbein.edu.

Alexis McNeal ’23

Event and Conference Coordinator
Alexis works collaboratively with all campus partners and community members to provide convenient and comfortable spaces for events and conferences at Otterbein.

To book your next event, contact Alexis at mcneal1@otterbein.edu.

Mary Beth Metz

Coordinator of Alumni and Family Programs
Mary Beth grows engagement with alumni, families, and friends of Otterbein through virtual and in person programming and social media outreach.

Contact Mary Beth at metz1@otterbein.edu.

Thank you to the donors who are making a difference at Otterbein

The Rice Family Endowed Scholarship in Nursing has been established by Marsha Rice Scanlin ’74 to honor her grandfather, Earl Rice, and her father, Robert Rice. Scanlin saw both grandparents and her parents experience cancer, and she later became a two-time cancer survivor. The Rice Family Endowed Scholarship in Nursing has been endowed to support a nurse at the James Cancer Hospital who is a graduate student at Otterbein University.

Dr. Mary Ann Bradford Burnam H’19 and her husband, Paul, have established the Dr. Mary Ann Bradford Burnam H’19 and Paul Burnam Undergraduate Nursing Scholarship. Both Mary Ann and Paul made their careers in higher education, Mary Ann at Otterbein and Paul at academic libraries. They firmly believe that a strong undergraduate education helps prepare students for productive and successful lives and believe that Otterbein is the perfect place for undergraduate nursing students to learn, grow, and prepare for their next steps after graduation.

Childhood Memory Drives a Donor’s Passion

O.H. (Oz) Koeplin recently established the O.H. (Oz) and Dr. Priscilla Koeplin Nursing Scholarship.

“When I was a poor boy delivering newspapers over 75 years ago, the newspaper printed this message every day on the editorial page:

‘ I shall pass this way but once, anything I can do or any kindness I can show let me do it now for I shall not pass this way again
– Anon.’

During my time as city manager of Westerville, Tom Kerr, president of Otterbein University, and I established a tremendous ‘town and gown’ relationship, which is so essential when the University had a big presence in the city. A few years ago, I was in a position to fulfill the above message that I had seen every day in the newspaper as a boy. Otterbein University, in my opinion, is a top-drawer college, one of the best in its class. One that all prospects considering higher education should put on the top of their list.”

– O.H. (Oz) Koeplin, Otterbein supporter and former City of Westerville Manager



$1 Million Gift Honors the Memory of Paul Dallas Taylor ’61

In February, JoAnn Taylor made a $1 million gift in memory of her late husband, Paul Dallas Taylor ’61. Paul was a lifelong learner and educator whose time at Otterbein — as a student and throughout his life as an alumnus — was deeply important to him. Paul dedicated his professional career to teaching at the college level in Minnesota and Texas. He and JoAnn always believed in investing in people to help them achieve their goals and dreams through higher education. The gift will support the Campus Center Renovation with a named space as well as an endowed fund for student success with the Otterbein READY program.

To learn if your company or organization matches charitable donations, please visit www.otterbein.edu/giving/how-to-give/matching-gift.

Ellen Andrews ’71 has generously supported Otterbein through funding for education majors. Andrews taught 41 years with the Elyria City Schools where she made a tremendous difference in the lives of her students. She is one of several in her family to attend Otterbein.

Former parents Dr. Roger and Betty Neff P’83, P’85 made an additional generous gift to support the Roger H. and Betty A. Neff Endowed Scholarship, established in 2005 to support undergraduate students pursuing international studies or studies that reflect a global perspective. Roger taught for 32 years at Otterbein, from 1961 to 1993, and served as the chair of the foreign language department for the last 20 years of his time on the faculty.

Board of Trustees member Deborah Ewell Currin ’67 and her husband, William A. Currin ’67, continue to generously support the Otterbein Fund through a recent unrestricted gift. In addition, their support was supplemented by a matching gift through William’s former employer.

John Bullis ’56, P’81, P’83, P’90 recently made a generous gift in honor and memory of his wife, Carole Kreider Bullis ’56, to support both the Otterbein Fund and the Bullis- Kreider Memorial Endowed Scholarship, which was established in 1996 to honor John’s parents, Cleo and John Bullis, and his late wife Carole’s parents, Margaret and Russell Kreider.

John E. Ellis ’87 was born into the world with a handicapped body but an indomitable spirit. At Otterbein, Ellis majored in radio and spent many happy hours honing his skills and teaching others at the Otterbein radio station. In his memory, his family has created the John Edward Ellis ’87 Family Endowed Scholarship to support an annual scholarship for students in communication who demonstrate a desire to develop their skills to overcome inequities and injustices and to make our world a better place for future generations. Additionally, a designated portion of the gift will be used to establish the John Edward Ellis ’87 Family Endowed Fund for Radio Communications, an endowment to support Otterbein radio communications.

Alumnus Daniel Gifford ’88, P’21 and his wife, Deanna, have fulfilled a $50,000 gift in support of the Campus Center Renovation. Daniel is part of the Gifford legacy family at Otterbein and currently serves on the Board of Trustees.

Alumnus Daniel Gifford ’88, P’21 and his wife, Deanna, have fulfilled a $50,000 gift in support of the Campus Center Renovation. Daniel is part of the Gifford legacy family at Otterbein and currently serves on the Board of Trustees.

To honor and celebrate the legacy of late professor David Jones, a group of alumni, led by a generous gift from Kyle Daniel ’04, have established the Dr. David C. Jones Memorial Scholarship. Jones taught marketing and related courses in the department of Business, Accounting, and Economics at Otterbein for 25 years. It is their hope that this scholarship continues his work of supporting and educating future generations of Otterbein students.

The Linda A. Karl Chandler ’70 Memorial Award has been created by its namesake, Linda Karl Chandler ’70, to provide internships for theatre arts students to pursue backstage or behind-the-camera work in theatre, cinema, or television. Chandler was heavily involved in theatre behind-the- scenes as an Otterbein student, and wished to honor all those who work tirelessly backstage through her gift.

Alumni couple Pamela Hudson Dominici ’68 and Robert J. Dominici ’67 made a generous $10,000 gift in support of the 1847 Minutes for Otterbein campaign during Homecoming and Family Weekend 2022, to encourage others to support the Otterbein Fund.

Grants, Corporate, and Foundation Support

Grants help to provide essential funding for new programs, research, and other areas that directly impact our students at Otterbein. Our faculty and staff have recently been awarded grants from several organizations, including:

Henry Luce Foundation

AMOUNT: $98,000

Otterbein’s Frank Museum of Art, Cincinnati Art Museum, and Columbus Museum of Art hold the largest known collections of art and artifacts by modern Chinese painter Wu Zhongxiong (1899- 1989), known as C.Y. Woo, who emigrated from Shanghai to central Ohio in 1964. In collaboration since 2018, these institutions have been establishing an open-source digital humanities database of the more than 1,770 objects held in Ohio C.Y. Woo collections. This grant supports painting conservation for the exhibition, photography for the exhibition catalogue and database, and undergraduate and graduate research staff for the next stages of database development.

Choose Ohio First Scholarship Support for Equine and Allied Health

AMOUNT: $462,621

Supports scholarships for Ohio students entering pre-veterinary studies, veterinary technician, or allied health majors at Otterbein University. These students will engage in cohort-based learning opportunities as well as work-based learning opportunities like internships with companies and businesses throughout central Ohio.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

AMOUNT: $377,800

Otterbein’s focus for its second grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute is on building the community needed to bring lasting cultural and structural change by increasing University enrollment and retention of students who have been historically excluded from the sciences.

Mary B. Thomas ’28 Commitment to Otterbein Award Honorees

The Mary B. Thomas ’28 Commitment to Otterbein Award was established by President Emerita Kathy Krendl and the University Board of Trustees to recognize extraordinary philanthropic leadership, service, and advancement of Otterbein’s mission. It is the highest honor Otterbein bestows upon its community members for transformational leadership and commitment. Two awards were conferred at this year’s Celebration of Otterbein event at Homecoming and Family Weekend on Oct. 1.

The 2022 Mary B. Thomas ’28 Commitment to Otterbein Award honorees: Mark ’78 and Deb Scott ’77 Thresher, P’05 (front row) and members of the Otterbein “O” Club including (left to right) past president Ron Jones ’61, current president Mark Granger ’79, and past president Jack Pietila ’62.

Mary B. Thomas ’28 Commitment to Otterbein Award honorees: Mark ’78 and Deb Scott ’77 Thresher P’05

Former Board of Trustees Chair Mark Thresher ’78 P’05 and his wife, Deb Scott ’77 Thresher P’05, met at an Otterbein football game in the fall of 1975 when Mark was a sophomore and Deb was a junior. The two began dating shortly thereafter and Deb, a music education major, selected Mark, an accounting major, as her escort when she was elected Homecoming Queen in 1976. Deb was a member of Epsilon Kappa Tau sorority and participated in choir and band while at Otterbein. Mark played basketball and was a member of Torch and Key and Tau Pi Phi honoraries. They married four months after Mark’s graduation in 1978.

The Threshers have never forgotten how their experiences at Otterbein helped prepare them for life, which has become the catalyst for their incredible support of the University over the years. The impact of their generosity can be seen in gifts to establish a scholarship fund for music education majors (Deborah and Mark Thresher Family Scholarship), a fellowship that will support experiential learning at Otterbein (Mark and Deborah Thresher Fellowship), and annual support of the Otterbein Fund. In total, the Threshers have donated a significant amount in support of Otterbein over the past 31 years.

Otterbein “O” Club Foundation

Established in 1955, the Otterbein “O” Club aids and assists Otterbein University by contributing to our athletic programs and students. That year, Robert “Moe” Agler ’48 was appointed head football coach and along with his friends, former football teammates, Edwin “Dubbs” Roush ’47 and Francis “Red” Bailey ’43, the trio received permission to establish a Varsity “O” Alumni Club. In addition to Roush, who served as the organization’s first president, and Bailey, who served as its first vice president, the original board of directors also included John Zezech ’44, Harold Augspurger ’41, and Dwight “Smokey” Ballenger ’39.

Over the last 60 years, the “O” Club has partnered with Otterbein to enhance its athletic program in countless ways. Supported by the donations of individuals, businesses, trusts, and foundations, the “O” Club has been a transformational force in improving Otterbein’s athletic facilities, benefiting not only its student-athletes but the entire campus and extended Westerville community as well. In 1981, the club created its own foundation and to date has donated significantly to support athletics programs and facilities. Major projects benefiting from their support include the Rike Center weight room in 2008, Memorial Stadium renovations in 2005, the new track and turf in 2014, and repairs to the pole vault area of the track.

Otterbein remains deeply grateful for the ongoing support of the Threshers and the “O” Club Foundation and extends congratulations to these outstanding recipients of the 2022 Mary B. Thomas ’28 Commitment to Otterbein Award.

Grants, Corporate, and Foundation Support

Martha Holden Jennings Foundation

AMOUNT: $31,926

Supports the conversion of art integrated chemistry lessons and activities developed for our Integrative Studies Chemistry in Art course.

Ohio Department of Higher Education

AMOUNT: $1,259,937

Funds scholarships for Ohio students who enter majors including nursing, math, math education, and actuarial science.

State Library of Ohio

AMOUNT: $46,399

Supported the installation of touchless lockers in the Courtright Memorial Library as well as the installation of a contactless book drop.

Ohio Board of Nursing

AMOUNT: $200,000

Supports efforts to address the nursing shortage within the State of Ohio. This two-year program will allow Otterbein to increase the number of clinical precepting placement positions and the number of clinical preceptors at IHA Sunbury Urgent Care Center.

SWACO

AMOUNT: $16,900

Supports the creation of a zero-waste plan for Otterbein University in conjunction with RRS Consulting Services. SWACO, RRS Consulting, and Otterbein will work together to identify opportunities across campus to implement zero waste strategies for external events held on campus.

Celebrating Excellence

Front row (left to right): Tonya M. Milligan ’90, MAE’98, James Wagner ’56, P’81, P’88, and Karen Castro ’12. Back row (left to right): Jodi West Zellers ’96, Brooke Wilson ’10, Hilary Stone MBA’20, Alicia D. Caudill ’95, and Debbie Horn, accepting on behalf of her brother, Theodore Lloyd Jones ’70.

The Cardinal community is filled with high achievers, both in the professional workplace and in service to the community. During Homecoming & Family Weekend, we were honored to recognize 11 outstanding individuals for their ongoing accomplishments and one organization for its commitment to Otterbein athletics.

Stephen Rossman H’22, a staff member in Otterbein’s Department of Communication, receives the Honorary Alumni award from President Comerford.

Learn more about the 2022 award recipients at www.otterbein.edu/alumni/.

Rising Star Award
Karen Castro ’12
Hilary Stone MBA’20
Brooke Wilson ’10

Otterbein Alumni Award
Alicia D. Caudill ’95
Theodore Lloyd Jones ’70
Tonya M. Milligan ’90, MAE’98
James Wagner ’56, P’81, P’88
Jodi West Zellers ’96

Honorary Alumni
Stephen Rossman H’22

Mary B. Thomas ’28 Commitment to Otterbein Award
Otterbein “O” Club
Mark ’78 & Deb Scott ’77 Thresher P’05

Collaborating for Opportunity and Justice for All

There are not many university leaders who are willing to talk about the problems in American higher education, and even fewer willing to do something about it. On July 14, two leaders took the first step in doing the work of fixing a broken system, with a focus on contributing to society as a whole.

Otterbein University President John Comerford and Antioch University Chancellor Bill Groves, at an event livestreamed to both campuses, announced that the two universities were partnering with the intention to form a first-of-its-kind system of affiliated, independent, not-for-profit universities focused on shared graduate and adult learner programs.

The foundation of the system, and the calling card for future member universities, is the universities’ shared missions of providing access to an affordable, world-class education, while educating students to become engaged citizens advancing democracy; social, racial, and environmental justice; and the common good.

One advantage of the new system is that members will keep their distinctive undergraduate programs, branding, athletics, and student organizations. “Otterbein will always remain a residential undergraduate university built around meaningful faculty-student engagement and relationships,” Comerford said. “But given ongoing demographic trends, with decreasing numbers of high school graduates nationally for the next 15 years at a minimum, focusing only on undergraduates is not a sustainable path.”

Comerford noted that in Ohio alone more than two million adults have some college credit, but no degree.

“The system will additionally offer tailored workforce education programs with badges, certificates and other credentials to learners and business partners nationwide,” stated Comerford. “These workforce education programs not only help to keep and generate jobs in our local communities, they are important on-ramps for adult learners to pursue higher education and advanced credentials. Moreover, because the programs will be tailored to meet the specific needs of the employer, those businesses will ordinarily share in the cost of that education, improving access and affordability of higher education.”

Comerford laments the growing competition within higher education, driven by universities striving for prestige and rankings. “One of the most terrible aspects of our current model is that rather than judging universities by how they change the lives of the students they enroll, most rankings value how difficult it is for students to be admitted,” said Comerford. “The ‘most prestigious’ universities in the nation tend to admit a tiny percentage of the students who apply. Really? That’s how we share this incredible, life-changing resource, by closing the door on deserving students?”

Collaboration Over Competition

The new system prioritizes collaboration over competition. This innovative system allows the universities to expand adult learner and graduate degree offerings, to offer programs in more locations nationwide, to provide innovative learning modalities including online, low-residency, and hybrid settings, to create new opportunities for student engagement across institutions, and to enhance capacities and contain costs through shared services and improved technologies.

The system also gives Otterbein programs a national footprint. Antioch University currently has locations in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Yellow Springs, OH, and Keene, NH.

Map Of New National University System Locations

New System Locations

Faculty and staff teams are working to identify which Antioch University programs will be offered in central Ohio. They are also exploring which of Otterbein’s well-respected graduate nursing and health and sport sciences programs will be offered in these out-of- state locations.

The benefits of the new system will not be limited to adult learners and graduate students. Several exciting undergraduate opportunities are under consideration, including guaranteed early admission pathways between Otterbein undergraduate programs and Antioch University’s graduate programs. Possibilities include pathways from Otterbein psychology and sociology degrees to Antioch University’s many community mental health counseling master’s programs, as well as a connection between Otterbein’s bachelor of fine arts in creative writing with Antioch University’s master of fine arts program.

Other ideas under consideration would allow Otterbein undergraduates to spend a semester or term studying at an Antioch University location, for instance, allowing an environmental studies major to spend a semester in Keene, New Hampshire, home of the environmental studies graduate program.

Otterbein faculty, staff, and administrators have been in discussions about the new system for many months. “Otterbein University and Antioch University saw a huge opportunity to be ahead of the curve, proactive, and forward thinking in what is often an antiquated, slow-to-change higher education system. They both also saw a need to do something different at a time when change is sorely needed in higher education,” said Otterbein Professor Joan Rocks, Department of Health and Sport Sciences.

For more information about plans for this new national university system, visit www.otterbein.edu/system/.

Jefferson Blackburn-Smith is the vice president of Enrollment Management and Marketing. He has developed and implemented new partnerships with Central Ohio school districts and community colleges to create new opportunities to underserved populations to earn a higher education degree.

Become a Member of the 1847 Society During Otterbein’s 175th Anniversary

Otterbein’s 1847 Society recognizes individuals and couples who have established a planned gift to the University. During Otterbein’s 175th anniversary year, planned gifts are a meaningful way to ensure your legacy and commemorate this historic milestone. Planned gifts, at their core, are one of the best ways you can “pay it forward” to make an impact for future students and ensure that Otterbein remains a leader in higher education.

“Now that I’m retired, I’m looking at new possibilities for planned giving. I can make Otterbein a partial beneficiary of my Individual Retirement Account (IRA), and my estate will receive a charitable deduction. I’m forever grateful to Otterbein for the opportunity to complete my college degree,” said Peggy Ruhlin ’79. Ruhlin, who served on the Board of Trustees, made a generous unrestricted gift through a life insurance policy during Otterbein’s Where We STAND Matters campaign.

Planned gifts offer a way to leave assets to Otterbein that provide current and future benefits for you, and the University. Often, these gifts allow donors to make larger gifts than they may be able to make through their discretionary income. Common planned gifts include bequests, charitable gift annuities, trusts, and retirement assets.

Peggy Ruhlin ’79 supported Otterbein through a life insurance planned gift.

Learn more about how you can leave a legacy at Otterbein at www.plannedgiving.otterbein.edu/. Be sure to sign up for the free monthly eNewsletter.

Ensuring Every Student will be READY

A new career and professional development program at Otterbein University will prepare students for their futures by promoting academic and career exploration; immersive, hands-on experiences; and professional development skills like networking and goal mapping.

Understanding how critical it is for students to make these connections between their academic studies and their career aspirations, Otterbein is making the commitment that every student will go through four years of exploration, advising, and planning.

“We want our students to be ready for life after graduation,” said Jennifer Bechtold, assistant provost and executive director of Student Success and Career Development. “This four-year plan will give them the confidence and the skills they’ll need after Otterbein.”

Keeping that commitment front and center is the reason behind its name: Every Student Will be READY.

Bechtold explained that Otterbein’s signature First Year Experience (FYE) seminar courses have been reimagined with a team approach. FYE faculty will continue to help students transition to college-level learning, and now an Otterbein staff coach will join the first-year team to help students navigate time management and explore personal interests, goals, and career paths.

But the big ideas don’t end there. In addition to classroom speakers, whether in person or virtual, Bechtold said that alumni and Otterbein friends can support this initiative by offering internships and opportunities to collaborate on projects. “This will add to the program and help serve the entire Class of 2026, the first class to be part of the new Otterbein Every Student Will be READY program,” Bechtold said.

Robin Grote, associate professor of chemistry and director of undergraduate research and creative work, taught an FYE pilot course last year with the new model. She said having a staff partner enhanced the classroom experience. Grote said the students saw a team in action and began to understand that Otterbein is a network with many people across its community who want to help. “It was very representative of what it is like to be at Otterbein,” she said.

Grote believes students will be more engaged earlier in their college experiences. “Some of the best classroom experiences are when students interact with speakers. Anytime we can have visitors share their experiences related to the subject or to life – and do that in real-time – it’s much more interesting than just listening to a lecture from their professor.”

Otterbein leaders have seen first-hand how valuable immersive, hands-on experiences are to a student’s career preparation. While some academic programs like nursing and education already include those opportunities, Otterbein wants all students to have at least one signature immersive experience before they graduate.

Those experiences will vary greatly and will include everything from leadership experience to internships and study abroad. There are some funds currently in place to offset the costs of studying abroad, working a summer internship, or volunteering for community service, but program organizers say more support will be needed as the program expands to the entire student body.

Alumni Jon ’79 and Gretchen Freeman Hargis ’77 understood the importance of the Every Student Will be READY program. The couple runs the Hargis Family Foundation and were early supporters. “We believe a very important part of a college education is to prepare students on how to maximize their ability to gain employment in the field of their studies post-graduation. This initiative will provide all students the opportunity to work on these skills throughout their time as an Otterbein University student.”

According to Leah Schuh ’11, assistant director for experiential learning, the goal is to prepare students for post-graduation by increasing their access and creative focus.

“We want students to find meaning in what they did and how they can utilize that to be more prepared for employers and graduate schools,” she said. A dedicated team will help students to maximize their time at Otterbein and show them how to communicate the experience outcomes.

Schuh explained that Otterbein has a long history of combining hands-on experiences with classroom learning. Getting students READY for their futures will formalize what Otterbein has already focused on: hands-on experiences, mentorship, and guidance.

Alumni and friends can help support this exciting program by supporting the READY Fund to assist with costs for students’ immersive experiences. For more information on ways you or your company or organization could support this program or contribute to student success, please reach out to Kathleen Bonte, executive director of development, Institutional Advancement at 614-823-2707.