Thiel Happenings

Thiel College first-year students explore the science of gratitude through prosthetic project

Thiel College students enrolled in a special course designed for first-year students in which they are learning about happiness through a scientific lens while engaging in projects that promote wellness and service collaborated with “Hands of Gratitude,” an organization dedicated to creating 3D-printed prosthetic hands for individuals in need worldwide.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Thiel College Office of Admission awards Smith for monthly team member honors

The Thiel College Office of Admission has recognized Logan Smith ’27 as its Thiel Team Member of the Month for November.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Fire damages Peg Watts’ home; GoFundMe started to help with costs

On Dec. 10, 2024, a fire damaged the Erie home of Peg Watts and her husband, Jim.

Watts was an instructor of media communications/managing advisor of WXTC Radio/Thielensian at Thiel from 2014 to 2022.

Her colleague, Associate Professor of Communications Lana V. Kulik, Ph.D., has set up a GoFundMe page to help the family while the particulars with their insurance are worked out.

• Read more and donate.

According to Lana, Peg and Jim are OK but rattled by the ordeal (Peg is more so than Jim, who is the rock) and are currently staying at a hotel thanks to the emergency assistance from the American Red Cross. Both their guide dogs are with them. Two cats have been found; the third one is hiding somewhere, but they are sure Clam would never leave the house, so he is probably just scared.

The fire started in the attic and was contained there, thanks to the Erie Fire Department's quick response. No major structural damage was done to the house, but the firefighters came with full power to stop it. So there is a lot of water and smoke damage to both the house and everything in it, starting with the furniture and ending with clothes and other personal belongings.

Photo essay: PA program ugly sweater contest

This week’s photo essay shares the unique and the “ugly” on campus. Members of the physician assistant studies program held an ugly sweater contest last week.

Thank you to everyone who has already shared their incredible photos! Your submissions have beautifully showcased the vibrant fall colors, the unique trees on campus, and the quiet beauty of Thiel College. The Office of Communications and Marketing truly appreciates your contributions.

We’re always looking for more snapshots that highlight the charm and spirit of campus life! Whether it’s a stunning winter landscape, a favorite spot on campus, or a moment that captures the essence of Thiel College, your photos help tell our story.

📸 Send your photos to tnotes@thiel.edu and join us in celebrating what makes Thiel College extraordinary!

Spring TNT schedule set

The spring schedule of Thiel News Time gatherings has been sent. All TNTs are held at 11 a.m. in the Sawhill Georgian Room of the Howard Miller Student Center.

• Thursday, January 9
• Tuesday, February 11
• Tuesday, March 4
• Tuesday, April 15

Thiel College tradition continues #GoodLuckOnFinals

• Watch the video.
• See the full Flickr gallery.

Student News

🎄 Stocking stuffer alert to support equestrians🎄

This holiday season, make your stockings unique with delicious Smoked Meat Sticks from Thiel Equestrians!

Choose from these mouthwatering flavors:

• Sweet BBQ - A flavorful classic!
• Sweet Maple Bacon - A breakfast staple in a stick!
• Smoked Hickory - Rich, robust and oh so satisfying!
• Sweet Annie Brown - Unique and irresistible!

Get 2 for just $3! They're perfect for adding a delightful twist to your holiday festivities or as a tasty treat for those adventurous friends and family members.

Pick-Up Details:

📍 Location: Livingston Hall Office 320
🗓 Days: Tuesday (12/17) or Thursday (12/19)
🕗 Time: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Entrepreneurs discuss challenges and rewards of owning a business

On December 4, Carson Lisko and Deanna Clement from McConnell Marketing shared their experiences buying a business and the challenges and rewards that come along with business ownership.

General Comments

• Deanna and Carson have shaped the business to where there are opportunities for employees to grow in areas where they excel. They both said ownership can be achievable early, and they also recommended looking into purchasing an existing business rather than starting from scratch. They backed this up by explaining how you will already have existing clients and revenue, which is huge. —Casey Yacos ’25
• A key takeaway from their presentation was the importance of treating every connection as a potential cornerstone for future success. Lisko and Clement stressed that in the business world, relationships can unexpectedly evolve into valuable opportunities, underscoring the need to nurture every interaction with care and respect. —Yeeun Seo ’25
• Carson Lisko and Deanna Clement, owners of McConnell Marketing, shared their journey from employees to business owners in the boutique marketing world. Both graduated from Youngstown State University with BFAs in Graphic and Interactive Design and gained valuable experience through internships and design roles before joining McConnell Marketing. —Yianni Panagiotopoulos ’24
• Currently, their company consists of all women, and all take on various roles to make sure they are checking all the boxes for running the business. —Zach Bergstresser ’25
• A tip they provided was to have a work life balance. As well as focusing on family first and either join or make a company which supports this. —Jordan Lang ’25
• Their services include design, branding, strategy, content development, digital marketing, print production, event promotion, and market research. As strategic marketing partners, they do whatever it takes to solve client’s branding challenges. They try to be known to go above and beyond for them to make their goals a reality. —Chaerin Ryu ’25
• Deanna and Carson seem like genuinely sweet and personable individuals, and I really liked them. I also appreciated that they are new to entrepreneurship; it was a refreshing change from many of the other presentations we’ve had this semester. —Gianna Sprecace ’26
• The philosophy mentioned underscores the importance of surrounding oneself with individuals and maintaining a strong ethical foundation. —Emily Ripple ’26
• They also discussed the importance of diversifying clients to reduce risks, balancing professional and personal lives, and fostering a collaborative work environment. —Jaehee Lee ’25

Lessons Learned

• Start small, do internships, and build connections. —Casey Yacos ’25
• Create value for clients, your business, and yourself. —Casey Yacos ’25
• Building and maintaining strong relationships is crucial, as you never know when a connection might lead to significant opportunities. —Yeeun Seo ’25
• Plan strategically for major transitions. —Yianni Panagiotopoulos ’24
• Hard work and initiative open doors. —Yianni Panagiotopoulos ’24
• Surround yourself with mentors who can help guide you. —Zach Bergstresser ’25
• Focus on employee well-being over profit. —Zach Bergstresser ’25
• Negotiate terms if you buy a business. —Jordan Lang ’25
• Stay current and up to date in your field. —Jordan Lang ’25
• Be positive, be consistent. —Chaerin Ryu ’25
• Do what you love. — Chaerin Ryu ’25
• They showed how acquiring an established business saves time and resources by inheriting clients, systems, and brand equity. —Jaehee Lee ’25
• Honesty and transparency are the best policies. —Lexi Brown ’26
• I especially liked their motto: “You’re replaceable at work, not at home,” which highlights their commitment to a healthy work-life balance. —Gianna Sprecace ’26
• Build genuine relationships: Networking is not about the exchanging of business cards or making superficial connections. —Emily Ripple ’26
• Preparation is key. —Emily Ripple ’26

Dinner Dishing

• This was my first time ever having beef wellington and I was not disappointed! —Casey Yacos ’25
• As the semester is nearing its end, the conversation naturally revolved around plans and goals for next year. We also shared ideas and plans for how we’ll spend Christmas, making the discussion both reflective and festive —Yeeun Seo ’25
• The meal was exceptional, starting with a flavorful wedding soup, followed by a perfectly cooked beef wellington with tender beef and flaky pastry, and ending with a decadent velvet cake for dessert. —Yianni Panagiotopoulos ’24
• I was fortunate to be the dinner concierge for our final meal for the class…This meal was wonderfully done by the AVI team who had done an amazing job all semester —Zach Bergstresser ’25
• It was also interesting because this week, because I sat next to one of the guest speakers and learned more about her as well as traded business cards. —Jordan Lang ’25
• Strawberry dessert was so delicious —Chaerin Ryu ’25
• Having dinner with the speakers before the presentation was an enriching experience. I shared aspects of Korean culture, such as our dining customs and traditional dishes, which they found fascinating and enjoyable. —Jaehee Lee ’25
• And for dessert, this was my all-time favorite out of the entire class, I love red velvet cake. —Emily Ripple ’26

Thiel athletes and coaches help out at senior center Santa breakfast

Athletes and coaches helped Heritage Days & Senior Center with Breakfast with Santa on Saturday Dec. 7. Jean Carr from the DocuCenter shares that the Thiel community members “were incredibly helpful, and a ton of fun. We love them all.”

Strategic management class submits plan to alumnus

Professor of Business Adminstration and Accounting Angelo Giannini met with Alec Miller ’13, President of Hurricane Venture, located in Reynolds, Pennsylvania, and his management team on August 14, 2024, to discuss the strategic management class developing a strategic plan for his company. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided that the class would look at strategic support for new sales opportunities, new product development, and marketing plan support.

To develop the plan for Hurricane Venture, Jacob Castona ’25 was the Project Manager responsible for the overall development and finalization of the strategic vision. There were three team leaders covering specific goals for the plan. Zachary Bergstresser ’25 was the Fan Team Leader consisting of Jordan Castona ’25, Kevin Gilroy ’25, Shamod Hatton ’25, Zachary Johns ’25, and Zachary Melin ’25; Bryce Stubert ’25 was the New Sales Opportunities Team Leader with Dillon Belknap ’25, Ethan Cooper ’25, Gabriel Gonzalez ’25, Kaitlyn Herrmann ’24, Abagial Sefton ’25 and Jaehee Lee ’28; and Mya Winkle ’25, the Marketing Plan Support Team Leader with Chase Lawler ’25, Brandon Flock ’25, Joshua Govannucci ’25, Jacara Green ’25, Ashlyn Wightman ’25, and Tom Howard ’25.

The New Sales Opportunities Team began by looking at new markets, especially for the southeastern U.S., and new filter product development for these applications: air, house, refrigerator, car, and water purification. The team has also included purple filters for pool and spa applications because the purple filter paper has a higher degree of filtration. These filters could also be utilized as possible HEPA filters in hospitals. The Sales team has opened the possibility of selling fans to regional colleges.

The Fan Team was tasked at researching growth areas in the commercial cannabis market, warehousing, HVAC, agriculture, and the blowers market. The other area the team looked at concerned drop shipping through Amazon and Spocket, which would add to the bottom line of Hurricane by shipping directly to the end user from the manufacturer.

The Marketing Plan Support Team investigated improving Hurricane’s social media content, specifically Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube. They also reviewed the best swag giveaways as to which ones are the most valuable and have the biggest impact. The team was to analyze CRM (Customer Relations Management) software and customize it to Hurricane’s needs, with search engine optimization and Amazon and Google reviews.

The strategic plan was presented to Alex and his management team on Monday, December 9, 2024, with a Q and A session at the conclusion of the presentation.