Welcome New Alumni Board of Directors Elected 2023

In February 2023, the Alumni Association Board of Directors elected five new directors. The Board welcomed Corey Hauser ’18, Doug Lane ’89, MBA ’96, Lauren Pluskey McLain ’06, MBA ’10, Mark Rado ’80 and Sandra Akromas Thomson ’76 to the board! Read more about them below.

It’s incredibly hard to pick one favorite thing about my Wilkes experience, but I would say it’s the people I met. From my girlfriend, Alanna, who is also a Wilkes alumna, to my lifelong friends that I met the first few days as a freshman, to the professors and staff that have done so much for me personally and professionally. All of the Wilkes memories I cherish were because of the people I was with.

As a graduate, I have presented to Wilkes students about going to law school and what a career as an attorney is like. I have also attended homecoming and alumni events in Wilkes-Barre and where I live in D.C. In my new role as an Alumni Board member, I look forward to facilitating events that bring alumni and current students together. I also hope to help mentor current students as they prepare for life post-graduation.

With so many different majors, minors, athletics and extracurriculars, you can have truly unique experiences and meet so many wonderful people and carve your own path. Nothing stops you from being a finance major who is also pre-law, or an English major who is a member of the robotics club or a biology major who plays soccer and is a member of student government. No matter what, your Wilkes experience will truly be yours.

There are so many things I value from my undergraduate time at Wilkes and key people that come to mind. I say it to our sons all the time that the personal connections I made during my time at Wilkes were invaluable. From the accounting professors who took a personal interest in my educational development to former baseball coach at Wilkes, Gene Domzalski ’71 (who was instrumental in helping me secure my first job at Arthur Anderson) to the guidance and wisdom shared by Jane Lampe Groh, who convinced me, a homesick freshman, to stay at Wilkes. Perhaps the best experience I had was to be selected as resident assistant (RA). The RAs, led by Leigh Major ’83, were a tightly-knit group of friends that I’m still in touch with to this day.

Over the years, my wife, Dorothy (Price) ’85, and I have enjoyed attending basketball games and have attended homecoming. Now that we are empty nesters, I have more time to give back to Wilkes. I look forward to contributing in any way I can while reconnecting with old friends and making connections outside of my Wilkes peer group and finding new ways to serve.

Take advantage of opportunities and get to know your professors. You’ll enjoy the small community feel and personal relationships, and receive a top-notch education allowing you to compete with college graduates from more well-known institutions.

My favorite experiences at Wilkes were all the opportunities to be involved. As a cheerleader, I met some of my closest friends who are still friends today. I had amazing internship opportunities that helped me land a full-time job before graduation. My most impactful experience was with Zebra Communications and being chosen to lead a fundraising event during my senior year. This, as well as my close mentorship from my advisor, Jane Elmes-Crahall, led me to a very rewarding career in fundraising, for which I am forever grateful.

I have continued to give back by attending homecoming and alumni events, writing notes to incoming freshmen, serving as class chair and representing the class of 2006 at President Cant’s inauguration. I also host Geisinger’s yearly health care career fair for over 100 high school seniors on the Wilkes campus. This is a day where students interested in health care careers can learn about all of the employment opportunities at Geisinger, the amazing health sciences programs available at Wilkes and the experience they need to work in the field.

I look forward to continuing to give back and help students make connections. My advice to current students is to get involved in clubs, sports, internships or anything that interests you. At Wilkes, you’re not just a number! Your professors know you by name and are there to help you succeed!

There are so many things that I loved about my Wilkes experience: the closeness of the entire academic community, the quality of the education, the ability to learn in a forgiving and nurturing environment where faculty, coaches, and administrators truly cared about the individual students and the friends I’ve made since my first visit to campus in 1975. My favorite of all are the people: the students I met, the faculty who taught me and whose insights and experiences molded me academically and throughout my professional career; the administration who showed me in 1975 how much they cared about a kid from Long Island and those who, today, make me feel like a valued part of the Wilkes family. And lastly, the alumni, those phenomenal Colonels that keep me coming back to campus while creating excitement for the annual homecoming events.

I have been connected to campus since graduation and regularly attended homecoming; it was great to visit with Paul ’77, MS ’82 and Jean Adams ’78 and many others. After joining the army, my trips home to campus became less regular until I moved back to the Washington, D.C. area. I reconnected with Wilkes and was honored to be nominated to the Alumni Board of Directors. Now in my third term, I’m certainly looking forward to rekindling relationships and friendships and serving as a Colonel again!

Going to Wilkes was going home. I was born in Plymouth and lived there until the age of three when my dad moved us to Randolph, New Jersey. I am proud to be a coal miner’s granddaughter and proud to be a first-generation graduate of Wilkes College.

I had the best of both worlds — I lived with my paternal grandmother and was well entrenched with the commuters, but my sisters (cherished girlfriends formerly of Barre Hall) hailed from New Jersey, and the bonus — I had a car! Whether it was lunch in the Commons or with my friends at the cafeteria, I met many colleagues living on and off campus.

Opportunity comes to mind when asked about my favorite memory of Wilkes. Working with former director of public relations Tom Moran and George Pawlush ’69, MS ’76 and writing for The Beacon helped me to land my very first job as the public relations director at Wyoming Seminary after graduation. I had the opportunity to engage with amazing professors and staff, traveled as an exchange student (twice!), learned about so many subjects and, more importantly, about life.

My four years at Wilkes served as the foundation for personal growth, career advancement and lifelong relationships. It continues as an alumna, an ever-enriching experience. What would I tell a prospective student considering Wilkes? Opportunity is knocking at the door…open it.