Thiel Happenings

Thiel College names McElhaney Coordinator of Student Health Services

Thiel College has named Keri McElhaney as the Coordinator of Student Health Services/Nurse.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Harcourt, Jones named Thiel College Student of the Month honorees for February

Thiel College announces Ryan Harcourt ’25 M.S.’26, of Hermitage, Pa., and Grace Jones ’25 M.S.’26, of Hadley, Pa., as its Student of the Month honorees for February.

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Thiel Honors Convocation will recognize author, education expert and celebrate academics

This year’s annual Thiel College Academic Honors Convocation will award a notable alumnus with an honorary degree and celebrate the academic achievements of students at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 21 in the William A. Passavant Memorial Center.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Four Thiel Tomcat Marching Pride members invited to 77th state band festival

Four members of the Thiel Tomcat Marching Pride will participate in the 77th Annual Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band Festival on March 14-16, 2025, hosted by Kutztown University.

+ Read the full story in the newsroom

Pat Tillman workout held on Sunday

Thiel College hosted a Pat Tillman Memorial Workout on Sunday. Thiel College veteran Liaison Mike Mason organized the event to coincide with Super Bowl Sunday because he found it appropriate to have the workout dedicated to Tillman.

The Office of Communications and Marketing invites the campus community to contribute photo essays for the staff newsletter, T-Notes. This semester, we’re looking for even more unique and interesting perspectives that highlight what makes Thiel such a great place to work and learn. Whether it’s a hidden campus gem, a special event, or a snapshot of daily life, we want to see Thiel through your eyes! 👀✨

How to Participate: Send your photos to tnotes@thiel.edu.

💡 Submission Ideas:

• 🌳 Campus landscapes
• 👫 Community events
• 🤩 Candid moments with students, faculty, and staff
• 🎉 Anything that captures the spirit of Thiel College

Thiel soccer scarf available

For more information, contact men’s soccer coach Zack Walters at ext. 2768.

Thiel News Time discusses upcoming Trustees’ meeting

The second Thiel News Time gathering of the spring semester was Tuesday in the Sawhill Georgian Room of the Howard Miller Student Center. During the TNT, the upcoming Trustees meetings were discussed.

Remaining schedule:

• Tuesday, March 4
• Tuesday, April 15

2026 presents travel opportunities for the Thiel community

Two European trips are on the schedule in 2026 for members of the Thiel College community.

The first trip is a tour with the Thiel Choir that includes stops in Austria and Switzerland from March 6-14, 2026. The second trip is to Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm from May 11-21, 2026.

• Read more about the Austria trip with the Thiel Choir.
• Download information about the Scandinavia trip.

Student News

King shares networking insights with Miller Seminar students

C. William King, retired president & CEO of Essential Research, Inc. spoke to students at the February 5 Ruth A. Miller Senior Business Seminar about how to prepare for success in searching for job and career opportunities after graduation.

“Bill King’s presentation, Guerrilla Marketing, took place this past Wednesday night and focused on the best ways to grow our networks to land jobs. He connected with us on a personal level, sharing that he had been laid off twice from management positions, so he truly understood the job-seeking experience.” Josie Gadsby ’26

“During the presentation, he got the students involved with an elevator speech where he split the class into two separate groups and had each of us match up with someone from the other group to give a quick elevator speech and introduce ourselves to an employer or someone that you would like to introduce yourself to in a business setting.” Kevin Gilroy ’25

“His approach emphasizes strategic networking, personal branding, and unconventional job search techniques to maximize success. Rather than relying solely on online applications, King stresses the importance of networking, citing that 75% of job placements come from direct connections rather than online job postings.” Vincent Laribee ’25

“Although many people begin networking out of immediate need, the most effective networks come from relationships built and maintained naturally over time. Therefore, we must continuously form relationships anytime and anywhere and have an attitude of preparing in advance before opportunities arise. In the end, this meant that I had to continuously build trust and value so that I could be recognized as a brand, rather than simply networking to get what I wanted.” Ji hyeon Moon ’25

“The main takeaway that I got from this lecture is that it’s important to develop a professional network early on in your career, as it will only benefit you later in life.” Cora Post ’25

“Instead of directly asking a potential employer about a job, focus on learning more about them and their company. Building a genuine connection first can spark their interest in you, creating the right moment to discuss job opportunities.” Sam Denu ’26

“Learning how to uncover hidden job opportunities through platforms like LinkedIn and gain useful information from current and former employees felt like a modern and highly practical approach.” Seungyeon Hong ’25

“Mr. King cited the World Economic Forum’s Employee Qualities for 2025, which included creativity, flexibility, and critical thinking.” Ava Kavulla ’25

“You must market yourself to be successful, and you must find a way to make yourself stand out on a piece of paper; you must do it quickly, most employers only give a resume 10 seconds of their time to be impressed, otherwise the resume will just be disregarded.” Kaitlyn Herrmann ’26

“One crucial point he emphasized was that recruiters only spend about 15-20 seconds reading a resume. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the most important information is immediately visible. This was particularly helpful to me since I tend to overshare details, and I now realize that I need to be concise on my resume.” Lexi Brown ’26

“The tips on using AI to enhance resumes and effectively highlighting strengths in interviews were particularly helpful, as they could be applied immediately in the job search process.” Seungyeon Hong ’25

“He gave us helpful examples of how to ask and answer questions during the interview process that would help make us look like an exceptional candidate for the job.” Bryce Stubert ’26

“He explained that our answers should follow the STAR technique; state the situation, address the tasks that need done, give the action that you took, and give the results. Using this technique ensures that we are answering every aspect of the interviewer’s question.” Natalie Pape ’26

“Be a super communicator! Use the matching principle, which includes matching the mindset of the interviewer. There are three types of conversations: rational, emotional, and social.” Ava Kavulla ’25

“King also introduced the "Wizard of Oz keys" to job-hunting success: courage, heart, and intelligence. He compared Dorothy’s journey to our own, emphasizing that, just like her, we are in control of our destinies. He also pointed out that the “man behind the curtain” represents the negative voices we need to ignore.” Josie Gadsby ’26

“Bill also taught us lessons on finding purpose in our careers by combining profession, passion, vocation, and mission. Bill was a very friendly man and was clearly someone who had changed the lives of many – it was our fortune to be able to meet with him.” Kaitlynn Wolffe ’25

“I found his presentation extremely helpful as a guide for future job-seeking endeavors. It covered practical tips, important questions to consider, and effective ways to conduct oneself during interviews. Overall, it was an insightful and highly engaging presentation.” Sam Denu ’6

“I felt very fortunate to have been able to hear such valuable insights concisely in a short period of time. And I would like to once again express my deep gratitude to the professor who provided me with this opportunity.” Ji hyeon Moon ’25

“Overall, Mr. King was very educational, and I am glad that I have a connection to him for my future job search.” Natalie Pape ’26

Lessons Learned

• “Take control of your own destiny and believe in yourself because, ultimately, you shape your future.” Lexi Brown ’26
• “Be positive and upbeat through it all and never look down on yourself.” Bryce Stubert ’26
• “Develop your personal network before you need it through in-person and LinkedIn connections.” Ava Kavulla ’25
• “Network, network, network, and network some more!” Kaitlyn Herrmann ’26
• “We have to prepare our elevator pitch.” Seungyeon Hong ’25
• “Know your worth; sell your brand.” Anna Kavulla ’27
• “Sell Your Value – Employers care about what you can do for them, not just your skills.” Josie Gadsby ’26
• “Find out what the hiring manager’s problems are and talk about how you can solve them.” Jordan Castona ’25
• “Be the Tylenol to their pain.” Jacob Castona ’25
• “Always put your best first on your resume.” Derrik Zappa ’26
• “Make sure to use key words in your resume.” Jordan Castona ’25
• “Use a “T-letter” to align qualifications directly with job requirements.” Vincent Laribee ’25
• “Alternating shallow and then deep questions can be impactful.” Derrik Zappa ’26
• “Prepare for interviews with the STAR technique and ask strategic questions.” Vincent Laribee ’25
• “Plan out answers for questions; practice, practice, practice!” Ethan Tabaka ’26
• “The Wizard of Oz keys to job hunting success: Heart, Courage, Intelligence, Ignore the people who tell you negative things, and Control my destiny.” Shinyoung Kim ’25
• “Don’t let the $#@% wear you down.” Bryce Stubert ’26

Dinner “Dishing”

• “The dinner was fantastic! I had the privilege of sitting with Mr. King, who shared valuable advice with us. On top of that, the chefs did an incredible job, the meal was outstanding, and I enjoyed every bite!” Sam Denu ’26
• “For tonight’s dinner, I was sitting at the same table as Mr. King. We spoke a bit and introduced ourselves, but King really mesmerized our table with his stories, with our table being the last ones to get up for the break before his presentation.” Kaitlynn Wolffe ’25
• “I had a wonderful time at dinner. I had the opportunity to sit with my fellow classmates for a lively and full conversation about our internships, the stock market, the Dave Ramsey Show, and future life plans. We enjoyed the classic American fare of wedge salads, steaks, and baked potatoes.” Ava Kavulla ’25
• “Dinner was very good, and the chocolate mousse dessert was wonderful.” Kaitlyn Herrmann ’26