Professional Testimonials:

It was a great to have students, faculty and alumni all at the same place, away from campus. – Lindsey Huinker ‘06

I think it is an incredibly valuable experience for the students. I wish this was something that I would have been able to do while I was at Wartburg. The interaction with the student at my workplace was great! – Katja Halverson ‘06

The highlight for me was meeting the students and talking with them about their future plans. This is a good program – I wish I would have had a similar opportunity. – Michael Crawford ‘91

Having my “Wartburg world” collide and integrate with my “Tilton World” through the Drum Circle was very powerful. I learn just as much from students/observers/volunteers as they learn in my classroom, and my students benefit from a “fresh approach” in their music classes. I benefit professionally through the opportunity to look at my classroom and teaching style through “someone else’s eyes”. Additionally, the dialogue with the Wartburg student helps me to put into words my vision, my mission and what it is I am trying to accomplish with my students. – Patricia Clancy ‘96

I enjoyed spending the evenings with the alumni and students; it was fun getting to know everyone. I definitely think this is a good thing for Wartburg students to experience! – Ami Franzen ‘06

I thought the activities completed as a group were a definite highlight of the week. Lisa was also a joy to host. This was a terrific experience. – Jennifer Donohoe ‘01

I was able to communicate to the coordinator and the student well in advance. Would I host again? Absolutely. – Anita Dantzler ‘97

I really enjoyed getting to know Tash and then trying to match her YMCA visit with her career goals. I love showing off the YMCA – it’s such a tremendous organization, and we can use more Wartburg-educated staff! – Linda Dean ‘74

Working with Kyle was a wonderful and enriching experience for me. – Dr. Darrell Schlange ‘61

Student Testimonials:

It was great to meet with all of the alumni at the first event. It was fun to see how their lives have progressed after graduating from Wartburg and how their education here benefited them. Overall, this was a great experience. I loved working with the alumni. Everyone was so helpful and excited to spend time with us. The Orange Connection was just one more way of bringing together the Wartburg family! – Tarra Norem ‘08

I really enjoyed developing connections with alumni as well as observing and taking part in a career in an urban setting. – Kyle Duchman ‘08

I loved seeing the city because I had never been there before, but the alumni were awesome. My host family was great and I do not think I could have asked for a better experience over break. The whole trip was great. Just getting to see Chicago was awesome. I thought this was one of the most influential trips I have ever taken in my life. I learned about the life of a person working in the same job as I may very well have some day. He was able to give very helpful resources as to internships and helpful individuals in my job force. I learned a lot about the city, and what it entails as far as waking up extremely early to reach a destination on time (Even if your appointment is only 45 miles away and it’s 8 a.m., which is not that early). I think that this is an experience all individuals could learn from, and allow the individual to grow as a student, worker and a person in general. – Josh Bernhard ‘09

The alumni did a great job interacting with us and I think they were very excited to help us. I was surprised how much interaction we had with many different alumni and how helpful they were.
The best part for me was getting to be in the city; big cities are new to me and I learned a lot from being in Chicago. I thought that the OC was a great experience and it should be done every year. I had such a great experience that I would like to go again. – Ben Hogan ‘08

I thoroughly enjoyed the inner city school experience! It provides a stark contrast to the Iowa/rural school field experience normally offered at Wartburg. Even if prospective teachers do not ever intend to teach in an urban setting, the experience is extremely eye-opening and immensely beneficial to gaining a variety of perspectives on the American educational system. The Chicago alumni were also very friendly and more than willing to help students with directions, transportation, or information about living/working in the city. Overall, the OC is a WONDERFUL educational experience. – Katie Phillips ‘09

This experience was great for me. I really enjoyed my experience. I learned so much just working for two days, and it was information that I would not be able to receive were it not for the location of Chicago. I loved the alum that I got to work with; she was very excited to work with me and share her knowledge. Outside of the work day, I enjoyed meeting the other alums and students on the trip, and experiencing the city as well. Overall, I had a very positive and enjoyable experience. I would definitely recommend the Orange Connection to other students. It provided many opportunities, both in city life and the workplace, that are extremely important to have before heading out into the working world. My favorite part of the trip was my experience in the urban school setting. It was really eye-opening for me, and was an experience that I am eager to add to my knowledge of education. I do not think I could have had that experience without a trip such as the OC, so I am glad for the opportunity. – Ellen Hilger ‘09

I think the best part was the urban immersion. We were there for only three days and by the end of that, I was completely comfortable using public transportation. I felt I had a grasp on what it would be like to live in Chicago. – Kristall Laursen ‘07

The best part for me was navigating my way around Chicago. It’s fun to be in a large city and fend for yourself. When I travel I like to pretend I’m from the area and not look like a tourist.
– Lisamarie Nielsen ‘07