Wartburg prepared me to work hard

NAME: Megan Puls Hones
CLASS YEAR: 2014
MAJOR: Accounting
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT: Audit manager, Deloitte

WHY WARTBURG: Wartburg offered a better scholarship package compared to the other schools I was looking at. Plus campus has the friendliest atmosphere I’ve ever been part of!

HOW DID YOUR WARTBURG EXPERIENCE PREPARE YOU FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE: It prepared me to work hard and taught me the importance of getting involved in the community.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU COULD DO BEFORE WARTBURG: I never thought I could be involved in so many activities at the college level or that I would be part of such a friendly community (since I’m more of an introvert). I also never imagined I’d be able to get a job at a Big 4 accounting firm.

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU WOULD HAVE KNOWN PRIOR TO GRADUATION: That it’s more important to know how you learn than it is to memorize everything and know all the answers (because you won’t know all the answers in every situation anyway).

HOW ARE YOU LIVING OUT THE WARTBURG MISSION: I have been able to find faith communities in each of the places I’ve lived since graduating Wartburg. Both those faith communities and my employer place emphasis on service opportunities to help the community, and I’ve been able to participate in those.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS: Be comfortable not knowing everything, but have confidence in your ability to learn. Hone your ability to meet new people and form relationships with them by finding ways to relate to them. Emphasize the importance of being able to work well with other people; your technical knowledge will take you far, but your ability to work with and relate to others will take you farther. Stay in touch with the friends and people that you met throughout college. Take advantage of Wartburg’s opportunities to be involved and figure out your interests. Depending on where you live and the job you have after college, it can be much more challenging to continue to be involved. So knowing your interests can help you pinpoint how you want to involve yourself in your new community.

WHY WAS YOUR WARTBURG EXPERIENCE WORTH IT: I loved my experience at Wartburg! I wouldn’t change it because my experiences both in the classroom and socially really shaped me. I gained a husband and lifelong friends. My immediate family are all Knights, and now we share that bond as alums going back.