Graduate Profile: Kelly O'Connor Dachtler
Learning another language is valuable in itself, but experiences abroad can bring words and meanings to life. Alma College alumna Kelly O’Connor Dachtler was drawn to studying German because of her experiences traveling abroad.
“I was able to study for a semester in Germany as part of my double major,” she says. “In addition to developing my language skills in a tremendous way, the cultural immersion opened my eyes to the world.”
Now, Dachtler, who graduated in 2005, is a unit sales supervisor and a financial advisor with Bankers Life and Casualty in Traverse City. While she enjoys working in an urban environment, she fondly recalls the comforts of a small campus.
“The close-knit community meant I would be more than just a number, and that I would have the opportunity to work closely with my professors,” she says. “The liberal arts approach was important in helping me find my way, in choosing a major that fit my interests and goals."
Her language skills continue to serve her, as she still travels and converses with friends back in Germany.
