Katie Matonich

Graduate Profile: Katie Matonich

When she was still an Alma College student, Katie Matonich’s advice to students was “to remember that being an English major isn’t all rainbows and sunshine, but it’s what makes writing about rainbows and sunshine fun!”

Katie Matonich

Now, as the development coordinator for the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan, she seems to have found her pot of gold.

“As development coordinator, it’s my job to educate others about what my company does through speaking engagements, press releases and other various forms of media,” she says. “It is imperative that I communicate clearly and exercise critical thinking in all of my daily tasks at the food bank.”

Matonich doesn’t just know how to do her job, though; she gets it done. Last year, her company was able to distribute more than 18.6 million pounds of food to 22 counties throughout Michigan.

She credits her current success to her Alma education.

“Almost every single day, I utilize my degree at work,” she says. “The things I learned from professors and peers are my greatest tools for mobilizing the public. I’m recruiting the next generation of leaders to make the changes necessary for bettering our society and future.”

Matonich, who graduated in 2008, is proof that chasing rainbows is no illusory dream.

 

In the more than 125 years since its founding, Alma College has stayed true to its roots by keeping its Scottish heritage alive. Today, Alma features a marching band clad in kilts, a Scottish dance troupe, a competitive pipe band and its own tartan. Each year, the College hosts the Alma Highland Festival and Games, which feature traditional Scottish games and revelry.

 

Graduate Profile

Lauren Jo Sypniewski

Lauren Jo Sypniewski
Graduation: 2010
Major: English

While she may not have psychic abilities, Lauren Jo Sypniewski didn’t need a fortune teller’s clairvoyance to know she was going to study English at Alma College. The 2010 alumna’s enthusiasm for literature and writing made a college crystal ball unnecessary.

“I never thad that ‘major unknown’ phase that many freshmen and even sophomores go through,” she says. “I’ve always been passionate about books and writing, and I like the adventure of searching for the human aspect in my own writing.”