The Power of CONNECTION

WARTBURG MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2025 ISSUE

Knight Nation brings alumni and students together in a powerful new way — and it’s already transforming how Wartburg supports career exploration.

Sept. 2, 2025

The Career Connections team at Wartburg was in search of a solution.

“If you’re unsure about a career path, the most valuable things you can do are to test it out for yourself and have a conversation with someone who’s already in the field,” said Derek Solheim ’93, associate dean of students for careers and vocation. “On one side, we’ve got students with these great questions about careers. On the other side, we’ve got all these alumni with answers to those questions. Our problem was how to connect those two groups efficiently.”

Enter Knight Nation, a dedicated online space for the Wartburg community where students, alumni, and friends of the college can connect and network without the need to exchange phone numbers or meet
in person.

Whether you’re seeking advice, exploring career paths, or hoping to give back by mentoring others, Knight Nation offers a supportive environment designed to strengthen professional and personal connections within and across generations of Knights. You might find your next job opportunity there — or reconnect with an old friend.

“Knight Nation is a space for connection, but it’s also a database,” said Ellen Engh ’08, director of alumni and parent engagement. “Once you enter your career information and topics of expertise, we don’t have to ask you for that every time you volunteer to meet with a student. That alone will increase our efficiency in forming good relationships between students and alumni.”

On their profiles, alumni can list their work history and topics they feel comfortable talking about, which is helpful for those who are working in unexpected fields for their majors.

As the Knight Nation network grows, it becomes an even better resource for Wartburg students and alumni. An inaugural mentoring program ran on the platform this winter, with 40 mentor pairs meeting for eight weeks. Video calls can be conducted directly through the Knight Nation app. (Read more about mentoring on page 8.)

“We’re really pleased with the results of our first mentoring group,” said Amy Tucker ’10, associate director for career connections and student engagement. “As more alumni register, we’ll be better able to pair up students with mentors in their areas of interest. If you’re someone in a unique field, we could really use your expertise!”

In addition to mentoring, Knight Nation can also facilitate better networking events, mock interviews, job shadowing, and microinternships.

“The questions our students have sound so familiar because they’re questions we’ve all asked: ‘What do I want to do with my life?’ ‘How do I get started?’” said Nikki Kuhn, assistant director of alumni engagement and mentoring. “With Knight Nation, we can connect our students with Knights who have been in their shoes for some really powerful learning.”

This initiative was made possible by a $1 million gift from Mike and Marge McCoy, chair of the Board of Regents and his wife, to support connections between alumni and students.

“We’re grateful for Mike and Marge’s vision,” said Jo Dorrance, associate director for internships. “They understand that our alumni and friends are some of the best resources for our students.”