Winter 2005 - Wayne State College

MESSAGE FROMRichard J. Collings,President“Wayne State College is notjust an educational entity:it is a community wherefriendships are formed andprofessional skills are honed.There is a protective feelingtoward Wayne Statethroughout Wayne and amongour alumni. The college is avibrant, integral part of thecommunity and region, and itssuccess is inextricably linkedto the area.”Several times each week, I walk over to the student center atnoon to have lunch with Wayne State College students. When Ifirst started this practice after I arrived on campus last summer, thestudents seemed a little nervous. They weren’t sure of mymotives, and wondered what I was doing bringing my lunch andsitting at their table. Over the course of the fall semester, I havemet many young men and women—bright, motivated students whohave helped me get to know them. I’ve learned why they chose toattend Wayne State College, what they are majoring in, and a littlebit about their backgrounds, goals and aspirations.I’ve also had several opportunities to meet and get to knowmany of our alumni and friends. Through special events likeHomecoming, alumni reunions and participation in regionalactivities, I can see a similar allegiance to Wayne State that I see inour students. Wayne State College is not just an educational entity:it is a community where friendships are formed and professionalskills are honed. There is a protective feeling toward Wayne Statethroughout Wayne and among our alumni. The college is avibrant, integral part of the community and region, and its successis inextricably linked to the area.One of the things I have been pleased with is the cooperativerelationship Wayne State College has with a number of businessesin the region and state. The Wayne State College Career Fair,sponsored by the WSC Career Services Office each spring, drawsmore than 90 employers ranging from large corporations to smallagencies. Many attend the fair because they have been pleasedwith the quality of employees they have hired in the past, and wantto keep the practice going.As you will read elsewhere in this magazine, many firms seekout Wayne State College students for internships and postgraduationemployment. The partnerships these businesses forgewith our School of Business and Technology are beneficial to boththe student and also the business. Many of our graduates excel inthe business world, thanks in large part to the excellent educationthey received as an undergraduate at Wayne State College.The longer I am at Wayne State, the more I am convinced thatthe college plays an interdependent role in the lives of our studentsand alumni, the community of Wayne, and the state of Nebraska.The success of each of us depends upon the other. It’s arelationship that has worked for many years and which I amconfident will continue to flourish into the future.WAYNE STATE MAGAZINE 3