Thiel Happenings

Thiel College’s single-day fundraiser sets records for participants and money raised

Match Day, Thiel College’s one-day fundraiser, set records for money raised and total donors for its Paws Across America event on Feb. 24.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Thiel College professor appears on CBS TV affiliate discussing Ukraine crisis

Assistant Professor of Communication Lana Kulik, Ph.D. appeared on Youngstown televsion to discuss the crisis in the Ukraine on Thursday, Feb.24.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Student News

Wilt shares thoughts on Thiel, Mercer County, and leading your best life

Rod E. Wilt ’86 was the featured speaker at the February 23rd Ruth A. Miller Senior Business Seminar. Rod is the Executive Director of Penn-Northwest Development Corporation in Hermitage, Pa., and is the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Thiel College. Rod shared with students how his experiences growing up on Thiel’s campus eventually led to him becoming a student and alumnus, and how those experiences have positively impacted his life and career.  

“At Thiel, Wilt was a Business Administration and English major. However, attending Thiel as a student was not his first experience here. His mom was a professor on campus and his dad was the Dean. Although he did not plan to attend Thiel, Wilt noted that he was happy to end up here and wouldn’t want to change anything.” Kate Sollers ’22

“Rod was very raw and real with us. He shared with us the many rejection letters he had received before getting that first job offer, where he would have been happy making $1,000 a month.” Madeline DePalma ’22

“Rod Wilt thought he would end up becoming an English teacher and a wrestling coach after graduating from Thiel College. In fact, he went on to being a developer, product manager, politician, and is currently the Executive Director of Penn-Northwest Development Corporation. What he thought his career would be and what he ended up doing showed me that life doesn’t always go the way you expect it to.” Angela Sorg ’23

“Rod would eventually run and win the election to be the Representative of the 17^th District in Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1996. He achieved this all within 10 years of graduating from Thiel College.” Owen Sa ’22

“Along with being back home, he came to realize that the development of Mercer County was failing, and he wanted to do something about it. That is when he was introduced to Penn-Northwest and became the executive director.” Richard Crooks ’22

“The presentation resonated with me very personally. I saw myself when listening to Rod speak. I have the same goals and aspirations he had when he was my age. We both are wrestlers and understand the hard work it takes to be great and never give up mentally.” Logan Long ’22

“Rod stated that through his experience he learned that it is important to be a chameleon, to be whoever he needed to be in order to advance in his career. He expressed that it does not mean to sacrifice your life or self to be successful, and that who you are does not have to be tied into what you are doing.”  Abigail Cico ’22

“From early on in his young career, Rod was interested in chasing opportunities to make more money. One of the main things he talked about during his speech was balancing your work life and personal life. He said, ‘who you are is not tied to what you are doing.’” Trey Williams ’22

“He talked about how no matter how dumb he thought it was going to make him look, he would ask the question so he would know. He would rather be looked at funny than go on making a mistake because he was afraid to ask for help or ask a question.”  Richard Crooks ’22

“I liked his quote, ‘Wherever you are, meet and find someone who can take you where you’re going.’ This relates to Dana’s speech last week with having a mentor or someone you can go to for advice or help.” Trey Williams ’22

“Rod spoke about the ability to always be able to pivot and keep your head up if life deals you with a hurdle or roadblock. This advice is crucial to understand as you can’t give up if something doesn’t go your way.” John Ganiear ’22

“Rod told us that he is not a finished product of perfection, that he continues to work on himself daily to become the best version of himself that he can.” Abigail Cico ’22

“As he shared his story, he said ‘every meaningful relationship he’s had has come from Thiel.’ This statement is extremely powerful as I feel many of us can say we feel the same. Whether it be through friendships, professors, networking connections made, so many meaningful relationships come out of Thiel.” Madeline DePalma ’22

“My favorite thing he talked about tonight was when he said, ‘Thiel is family.’ He talked about how he never appreciated his education from here until after he graduated. He said ‘Thiel is family’ because he had personal family involved in the college, but also because he made so many meaningful friends, including his wife, right here at Thiel.” Brycen Dorfmeister ’23

“The speaker was very good, and I also have some previous interaction with Rod Wilt because we had to go to Penn Northwest for my Entrepreneurship class last semester and what he said then compared to now makes me understand why he is so successful and liked by everybody.” Alrick Francis ’22

“Rod had an unconventional way of coming to Thiel, but he doesn’t regret one thing about it. He never realized how special Thiel actually was when he was here, but the Wilt family is constantly giving back to Thiel, and we thank them very much for that.” Emily Sears ’22

“Wilt noted how appreciative he is for all the people who have helped him along the way. He even mentioned that his signature for emails is ‘with appreciation’ to show gratitude for the help he received.”  Kate Sollers ’22

“‘When you look around, do you like what you see?’ I think this quote by Rod really applies to everyday life. We need to be constantly evaluating ourselves and our surroundings to see if they fit with how we want to live our lives.” Trey Williams ’22

“Wilt is still very involved with Thiel College and the surrounding community. His name at Thiel is one that many people know. He shows aspiration to make this school and community the best it can be.”  Kate Sollers ’22

“In conclusion, I felt that I learned a lot of valuable lessons from Rod and will take the knowledge and use it in my own life. He is willing to help anyone and show them how to become successful.” John Retton ’22

Lessons Learned

• “Never be afraid to ask the question.” Richard Crooks ’22
• “Chase your dreams while you’re winning at life.” Madeline DePalma ’22
• “Your work and life balance are like train tracks; the train will crash if either rail is unparallel.” Brycen Dorfmeister ’23
• “What you do isn’t always who you are.” Logan Long ’22
• “Don’t be intimidated if you feel like you are unprepared for a job or the youngest person in the room. Learn every day and prove that you belong there.” Maddison Neely ’22
• “Be willing to take jobs that you have little to no experience in as long as you are willing to learn and be motivated to do the job right.” Owen Sa ’22
• “Show up and put in the work to be successful.” Kate Sollers ’22
• “It’s easier to be successful now than it’s ever been if you’re willing to do the work and show up.” Angela Sorg ’23
• “Be a sponge, be a learner, and just ask the question everyone else is scared to ask.” Jacob Zylka ’22

Dinner “Dishing”

• “What a dinner! I had the privilege of dining with Rod Wilt and President Traverso covering all aspects of Thiel and daily life in conversation. The chef did not disappoint again on Wednesday with a trio of a salad, fantastic pork served with mashed potatoes and green beans, and finished with a selection of mousse. This was by far my best meal and experience yet!” John Ganiear ’22
• “Dinner was excellent, and it was great to catch up with Rod Wilt. I even got to talk to President Traverso. We talked a lot about Thiel and what the future for Thiel is. We talked about the wrestling team’s success and how we will be going over to the President's house as a team for a big dinner for our accomplishment of winning the PAC conference championship.” Logan Long ’22

Political science students heard from death penalty expert

Students in the Death Penalty course of Matthew T. Mangino, Esq. heard from guest lecturer Robert Dunham of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington, D via Zoom on Feb. 2. Dunham is a nationally recognized expert on the death penalty. He joined the class for over an hour delving into the nuances of the death penalty and its impact on the criminal justice system. He spent more than half his presentation answering student questions.

Before becoming DPIC’s Executive Director, he was one of the leading capital appellate lawyers in Pennsylvania, arguing on behalf of the Commonwealth’s death-row inmates in its state and federal courts and in the United States Supreme Court.