1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University
Slone says that Transy revealed to him how a liberal arts education works and how “all-encompassing” it is. Instead of focusing on just philosophy or theater or math, “it’s how all of those things integrate and work together,” he explains.
Jason Hobson, who grew up in Pikeville, says his ability to succeed in the tech field is the result of a combination of skills and experiences he gained at Transy.
Accounting major and studio art minor Kaitlin Wheeler graduates in May, but she’s already lined up a job in the city of her choice, Nashville. Poised and prepared, Wheeler admits she didn’t realize all of the benefits of being at Transylvania until she understood just how competitive she was in the workforce—thanks to a combination of education, opportunities and real-world experience. “Transy prepares you so much,” Wheeler explains. “Employers look at your transcript and your experience, but they also want to know that you can communicate with all kinds of people.” Originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky, Wheeler came to Transy to play volleyball on an art scholarship, but she says she stayed for the friendships she made and the close relationships with her professors. As president of her sorority, Wheeler has been active on campus and in Lexington. Also, she’s become comfortable collaborating with people from many backgrounds. “Transy really does make you stand out,” Wheeler notes, “because you’ve done all these different things. My art minor was brought up in every interview I had.” Time management, problem solving, analytical thinking, learning how to network and thriving in an internship also played a role in Wheeler’s success as a job candidate. With the help of her academic adviser, Wheeler secured a paid internship, initially for credit, with local accounting firm, Enderle & Romans PLLC. She quickly progressed from bookkeeping to the tax work she loves. “It’s exciting to be learning new
Read “Kaitlin Wheeler ’19 gained her competitive edge at Transy”
Tim Meko ’06 For a world that’s eager to digest complex stories in a succinct, well-designed image, we have Tim Meko, an award-winning graphic reporter and deputy graphics director at the Washington Post. He uses data, design and code to distill the most complicated information into decipherable and often stunning visuals. Get a glimpse of what he does. So, how does a Pioneer prepare to shift the paradigm in one of America’s most innovative newsrooms? “More than anything,” Meko explains, “Transy taught me how to learn. That’s a skill I use absolutely every single day, as I switch from mapping the Rohingya crisis in Burma to diagramming how climate change and wildfires can lead to mudslides in California.” Transy…provided me a rock solid foundation in how to solve problems and express myself through writing to physical art to digital code. He describes how the job requires him to become an instant expert, to determine what is most essential and then to communicate it clearly and creatively. “Without Transy’s liberal arts focus,” Meko explains, “I would not have the depth or breadth of subject expertise or the ability to solve problems with the flexibility and creativity that I have now.” The Russell, Ky., native had the freedom to design his own major at Transy, blending creative coding and art with communications courses. After graduating with a B.A. in digital imaging and application design (minoring in studio art and computer science), Meko earned a
Corey Clatterbuck ’08 As a graduate student in biology at San Jose State University, Corey Clatterbuck ’08 had the opportunity to accompany her advisor to Laysan Island and Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, where they used GPS and GLS devices to track movements of breeding Laysan albatrosses. Clatterbuck found that experience typical of most field research. During a three-week period, they endured: Bathing in ocean water Ant infestations in their tents Basic equipment maintenance, such as on a propane hose needed to warm food A tsunami warning that prompted a middle-of-the-night evacuation to the highest point on the island Emergency evacuation of a sick team member, whose care while on the island required that Clatterbuck give her daily shots using medical supplies dropped by the Coast Guard And Clatterbuck can’t get enough of it. She is now a Ph.D. candidate at San Diego State University, and before she entered graduate school, she accepted research jobs that took her from Alaska to the islands off the coast of Washington state. She studied the behavior of salmon in the Alaskan interior and the geographic distribution of the marbled murrelet, “a federally threatened and charismatic little seabird that poses all sorts of interesting wildlife management decisions.” “This research lets me mix my love of developmental and behavioral biology—classes I took at Transylvania—while expanding on questions of ecological conservation,” explains Clatterbuck. When Clatterbuck graduated from Transylvania, she first headed to Seattle to work
