By Mike Whitlaw, staff writer
On a cold, blustery Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, at noon, and in the Robert H. Stephens room in Menard Hall, Schmozfest 2015 was beginning. The whimsically named event was coordinated, promoted, and ably conducted by Joanie Rogers, Coordinator for the LLCC Foundation and Alumni Services.
The definitive title for this event is “Emerging Leaders Networking Lunch”. This event was held to place motivated students in front of and interacting with business leaders in our community. A learning experience which allowed students to exercise network communication skills they will find valuable in future endeavors, whether they are on the job or seeking employment.
This luncheon was a limited guest RSVP event based upon the number of business leaders who would be available to attend. There were only a few empty seats and all in attendance were observed to be both animated and engaged at their tables.
At my table there were 3 students and a business “hostess”. Katie Hageman was our business executive. She was a former student here at LLCC, continued her studies at Illinois State where she graduated and then entered the teaching profession. The story which brought her to our table is very compelling…
Katie was a teacher. A profession she enjoyed; but she also liked the interaction of being a sales representative and customer in retail sales. It was at her part-time job as a retail sales clerk that a regional recruiter for Horace Mann engaged her in conversation about an opportunity his company had to offer. According to Ms. Hageman, the recruiter told her of an opening soon to be made available due to the retirement of an agency owner who had successful ran his business for 40 years and was ready to retire.
To Katie, this was an amazing coincidence because her father was a Horace Mann Agency owner, had been in the business for 40 years, and was preparing to retire. When she asked after the retiring owner’s name….Surprise!! It was indeed her father.
The regional recruiter was from Nebraska and had recently moved to the Springfield area. As the regional vice president, the recruiter knew her father, but not Katie. Therefore, they had never conversed about Katie’s potential involvement in Horace Mann and her father had never pushed her to enter his business. This happened over 5 years ago and Katie now runs her father’s agency plus an extra office her efforts have added to her agency. She affirmed her father had assured her that he and the recruiter had not double-teamed her.
The other 2 guests at the table came from abroad. Rick Hobbs, former Army Airborne and now an airplane mechanic student, was born in Ireland to a couple stationed in the UK. He holds dual citizenship for UK and the USA. His service has taken him around the world from Germany to Korea. The irony of his presence here is his parents were both from Taylorville.
Emma Bruce wedded an American businessman who worked in Romania, her homeland. She immigrated to the USA with her husband and son. Her child graduated from WIU and is now a Sangamon County Sheriff Deputy. Though she spent 5 years attending college in Romania and taught English there for another 6 years, her college credits were disavowed by the Romania government; but, she is now working toward a degree so she may teach here in the USA.
It is a requirement that the grant supported college activities participate and engage in the Leadership Series sponsored and held by the LLCC Foundation. Without this participation, activities like the Lamp would not qualify for grant money assistance used to publish the paper. I believe this is a fair expectation.
I am retired as well as readily available, therefore, I volunteered to be Lamp’s representative. In the short time I spent at Schmozfest with these people, I found the event was a superior experience of company, conversation, and sharing. I would certainly do it again.
To the students of LLCC, I cannot say when the next opportunity will be available for students to participate in one of these events. But I recommend you take advantage of it. The more opportunities you embrace to grow and enrich your life vault of useful skills…The greater are your chances for the success you seek. My experience says you will not be disappointed.
Mike Whitlaw can be reached at [email protected] or 217-786-2311.
