Wesleyan Parents’ Council gets a first-hand look at some of the invaluable community partnerships and learning opportunities available to students and alumni at spring meeting
By Leona Baker | April 14, 2011
Who says field trips are just for kids? Twenty-six members of the Virginia Wesleyan College Parents’ Council, some from as far away as Massachusetts and New Hampshire, boarded a tour bus outside the Jane P. Batten Student Center on the morning of April 8 for a day of learning, interaction and fun as part of the organization’s spring business meeting.
Parents’ Council meetings take place in the fall and spring. The fall Parents’ Council events integrate with Homecoming & Parent Weekend. Typically, the spring meeting involves a group outing in cooperation with one of the College’s many partners in the business and non-profit community as well as presentations on campus by students, faculty, staff and Council leadership. Parents get a chance to experience first-hand some of the transformative learning experiences available to Wesleyan students in the Hampton Roads community.
The theme of the April 8 event was internships. The day began with a trip to GEICO’s regional office in Virginia Beach, a tour of the company’s facility and a lunch that included presentations by GEICO’s Regional Vice President Joe Thomas and four VWC alumni who are current employees of the company.
GEICO has become an invaluable partner for the College, offering student internships as well as exciting employment and professional development opportunities for graduates. There are approximately 30 Wesleyan alumni working for GEICO throughout the country.
The four alumni who spoke at the lunch were Annette Hilliard ’93, John Alutto ’07, Travis Cober ’08 and Kelly Menning ’09. They talked about how the Wesleyan experience uniquely prepared them for careers and community engagement.
“Wesleyan students are known for being intelligent, loyal, well-rounded, charitable, worldly, fun, down-to-earth, cultured, well-spoken, well-written, kind, dependable, humble and accountable,” said Annette Hilliard. “Their liberal arts degrees give students such a wonderful variety of experiences that they will benefit from years down the road.”
The afternoon meeting on campus included four student speakers—Aaron Murphey ’13, Jennifer Houghton ’11, Jasmine Linger ’11 and John Nash Maravich ’11—who also talked about their learning opportunities outside the classroom.
Current Parents’ Council Co-Chairs Jim and Katheryn Driscoll became involved in the organization when their daughter Rebecca Driscoll ’11 was a freshman and haven’t looked back.
“I was a little afraid of it at first,” Katheryn Driscoll said. “But it’s the easiest thing to do. It’s so much fun and you make so many connections on campus.”
Like other parents on the Council, Katheryn recognized there was something special about the Wesleyan experience from the beginning.
“One of the things that struck us was how welcoming and helpful the staff is here. And the faculty is so passionate about what they do. It’s hard not to get excited. You can see why that’s contagious for the students. It makes your heart sing to know that’s what they’re being exposed to.”
The Parents’ Council is composed of parent representatives for each class of current students at the College. In addition to attending the semiannual meetings, Council members are expected to serve as ambassadors for the College, encouraged to offer feedback and advice on a variety of issues relevant to the College and encouraged to support the College’s Annual Fund for Academic Excellence. Visit the Parents’ Council page for more information.