Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Spring 2013 | Page 26

“As a pre-med student interested
in doing global/public health
work in the future, I have been
able to learn about the path to
becoming a doctor from people
in med school, people in the
process of applying to med
school, practicing physicians
doing global health work, and
missionary doctors. Not only
are the advisors interested in
helping students learn useful
career information, but they
also want to help them see the
practical ways that they can
live out God’s calling for their
lives.”
—Sarah Noveroske ’14
“I met my advisor for lunch
several times over the course of
four months in D.C. We got to
talk a lot about the distinctions
between working in the private
sector versus working for a
government agency. My advisor
encouraged me to remain
disciplined in my pursuit of
God through vocation and to
not compromise for short-term
career gains.”
—Eric Lowe ’13

The segment aired on CNBC that day and was highlighted on
Wheaton College’s website. It caught the eye of Steve Wilhite ’85,
CEO of Summit Energy and vice chair of the Leadership Council.
This volunteer council consists of 15 alumni and friends of the
College who help address four issues of vital importance to students:
distinguishing between vocation, career, and calling; mentoring;
networking; and securing internships.
Steven had actually met Steve Wilhite the previous fall, when
Wilhite served on an on-campus panel to promote WiN. Naturally,
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Steven gravitated toward him to ask questions about working in the
energy field.
“We agreed to stay in touch, and he referred me to an energy manager in
Houston, but at the time there was no real sense of urgency,” recalls Steven.
Months after the Santelli interview, when Wilhite learned through the
grapevine that Steven was still unemployed, he made a recommendation
to members of his staff, which helped Steven get an interview at Summit’s
Houston office.
Providentially, this series of events led to Steven getting hired as a
client support analyst at Summit, where he serves as an interface between
Summit’s clients and its risk management office.
“I consult with clients on their energy usage and make recommendations
on how to improve their energy management,” explains Steven, who
accepted the position in November. “I wanted a place where I could learn
and see a lot of aspects of business, and this is perfect for that.”
In spite of the technological advancements in our world, professional
networking hasn’t really changed, says Wilhite, who has watched Summit
grow from a small company with 40 employees to an industry leader with
close to 900.
“At its core, networking is still the same,” he says. “I got my first job at
an engineering company through a gentleman my parents knew from
church.”
The big difference for students now is the availability of tools like WiN,
he adds.
“The tools can help if you take advantage of them.”

Taking Advantage of the Tools
Director of Alumni Relations Cindra Stackhouse Taetzsch ’82 notes that
perhaps the greatest challenge for students lies in simply figuring out
where to start, what to do, and who to talk to.
“Nearly 900 students have attended the required one-hour WiN
training seminars, but getting them to reach out to WiN advisors
and mentors is a little trickier. It’s a huge culture change for Wheaton
students to plan early for life after graduation, but we’re grateful for
alumni and parents who understand how important this is,” she says.
WiN was developed by Emily George DeLew ’08, director of alumni
connections, for the purpose of connecting students and alumni to
thousands more alumni across a variety of disciplines almost instantly.
The network brings mentorship, career advising, and professional
development opportunities within the click of a mouse. But it’s not a
job board, nor is it just about helping students get hired. Rather, WiN
provides answers to those “What’s next?” questions by harnessing one of
the College’s greatest assets—its alumni.
Wherever students and alumni may be in the process of preparing for
life after college, the network can be a resource to help them along that
path. For example, freshmen can start asking questions to discern if a
major is right for them; sophomores can learn from alumni about their
experiences with programs beyond the classroom; juniors can inquire