Meet Our Students Who Venture

Nina Perez

Nursing major Nina completed her NUR500 Nursing Clinical at MyMichigan Alma Emergency Department

This capstone experience in the emergency department at Alma Hospital has been incredibly valuable—both professionally and personally. It provided me with real-world exposure to the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of emergency nursing, where I was able to apply the knowledge and skills I’ve built over the past four years in Alma College’s BSN program.

This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me a deeper understanding of what it means to be a nurse. I learned to manage competing priorities, communicate effectively with a multidisciplinary team, and make quick clinical decisions—skills that are critical in any nursing setting. I also developed a stronger sense of confidence and independence in my clinical practice, which I know will benefit me as I transition into a professional role.

Just as importantly, this experience helped me grow emotionally. Being present for patients and families during moments of crisis or loss taught me about the emotional weight of nursing, and how to balance compassion with professionalism. These moments helped me realize how deeply meaningful and human this profession really is.

Overall, the ER capstone helped solidify my identity as a nurse. It showed me what I’m capable of, where I still have room to grow, and what kind of nurse I want to become. For those reasons, I absolutely consider this a valuable and formative experience.

Sophie Dech

Through Alma College Off-Campus Study, BIO major Sophie combined intensive Spanish language instruction at Latino Schools with pre-professional shadowing in a dental practice in Cusco, Peru

This was an incredibly valuable experience. I learned an incredible amount during this experience, gaining insight into the culture, language, history, healthcare system, and education system of Cusco, Peru. My time with the dentist solidified that I had chosen the right career direction for me, the relationships I made were character-developing, and my Spanish had improved exponentially.

The most influential aspects of my experience had to do with the relationships I formed. I felt very welcomed, accommodated, and cared for. When the dentist’s office was empty, we would try new foods (for me) and talk with his family while waiting for more patients. Their whole family showed so much compassion towards me and taught me the ropes of fitting in better. Because of this, I feel influenced to continue this compassionate persona even more so, in the United States

This experience will certainly aid my dental school application. Not only did I gain shadowing hours, but I also gained valuable insight into the procedures and career trajectory. With this, my Spanish proficiency has developed a tremendous amount, aiding in my Spanish minor. In both these ways, I feel I am more well-prepared to apply to dental school.

Alli Wichert

Digital Marketing major Ali studied abroad in Spain during WI25

I spent my winter term living with a host family in the heart of Spain. I attended classes at a local learning center and learned so much. I met amazing people from Spain, Colombia, and England as well as from Alabama, Puerto Rico, and New York. My studies took me to wine tastings, soccer museums, art exhibits and mountains. In my free time my friends and I traveled around Spain and went to Italy and Morocco.

Me and my host family went to choir concerts, parades and cooked meals together. Experiencing a wide variety of cultures prepared me to work with and for many kinds of people from many unique places. I improved my cultural awareness, problem-solving, and communication skills that will improve my ability to help marketing for my clients. Traveling also made me more creative as I have been exposed to other styles of art and traditional practices. This experience has helped my digital media skills and my market knowledge tremendously.

Jake Lasceski

BUS/POL major Jake interned with the CEO of Steelcase

I interned with the CEO at the world’s largest furniture manufacturer, where I worked on strategy, corporate communications, and impact initiatives. It opened my eyes to high-level decision-making, especially in the current macroeconomic environment. I learned how to value myself and workplace culture when applying for future jobs.

After Alma, I want a career in leadership. This might include a business setting or a political setting. I was able to learn where those environments overlap and how I can develop universal skills for either situation. This experience helped me understand the importance of leadership and how it trickles down through an organization.

Madi Black

BUS major Madi was a Detroit Pistons Academy Camp Counselor

This was an extremely valuable experience. I was able to learn new coaching skills from the best around, and make such a huge impact on kids lives. This experience really put into perspective for me how much a coach can truly make or break a player, and that I always want to be the coach to build them up, not tear them down. It was such an amazing journey with tons of new friends and memories that will stay with me forever.

I learned that I definitely want coaching to be a part of my future. At first, I was unsure if coaching was something I really wanted to do, but through this experience I’ve found my coaching voice and have learned so much.

I think this experience will help my future career goals because it was working with an NBA branded kids camp, and also because of how much coaching experience I was able to get throughout the entire summer.

Justin Boughner

Business major Justin Interned with Northwestern Mutual

This internship gave me hands-on exposure to what it takes to build a career as a financial advisor, from prospecting and securing clients to learning the ins and outs of financial planning, insurance, and investments. I was able to work directly with real clients, develop my communication and relationship-building skills, and gain a better understanding of the business’s challenges and rewards. It also gave me clarity that this is a career I can see myself pursuing long term, while providing a realistic view of the hard work and consistency required to be successful.

One of the most important things I learned was the value of building genuine relationships and trust with clients. In this business, people aren’t just buying a product — they’re trusting you with their financial future, so strong relationships are everything. I also learned the importance of persistence and consistency, especially in prospecting and follow-up. Not every conversation turns into business rightaway, but staying committed and organized can make a big difference over time. Lastly, I gained a better understanding of the wide range of financial tools and strategies available, and how to tailor them to each client’s specific needs. These lessons were influential because they’re skills and mindsets I can carry with me throughout my career, not just in financial advising.

Academically, it’s given me real-world context that I can apply to any future coursework in finance, business, or economics, making those concepts more practical and relevant. Overall, it’s confirmed that I can see myself in this field long-term, while also showing me the areas I still need to grow in to reach my goals.

Cole Grunwald

ECNF major Cole completed a Finance internship with the City of Alma

I can say wholeheartedly that working for the City of Alma was very much a valuable experience. I gained a lot of valuable skills that I will carry with me and learned a lot from my coworkers. Not only did I learn a lot, but I also enjoyed my time working with the team I had. Through my time working for the City of Alma, I got better at inputting invoices, laughed with my coworkers, and learned more about finance. All of these things allowed me to have a good time at the workplace, making this internship a valuable experience.

I learned how important it is to be accurate and double-check my work, especially with money and invoices. I also learned how to use Excel better and work with others in a professional setting. These skills are important because they will help me in any finance job in the future. Also, my boss signed me up to become cash certified through a training. This not only allowed me to become more accurate with counting cash but also more aware of what to look out for on checks and checking for fraudulent activity on cash or checks.

This experience will help me in the future because I learned real finance skills like handling cash, processing invoices, and using Excel. It also taught me how to work in an office and be professional. These skills will help me be more prepared for a career in finance while also taking what I learned from my internship into my classes as well.

Emily Kraezlein

Biology major Emily completed summer research with Alma College faculty

This was a valuable experience. I learned a lot about research in a laboratory setting, which will be immensely useful for my future. I gained a lot of technical experience such as cell culturing, passaging, growing, and western blot techniques. All of this knowledge will help me in the future.

The most influential things I learned include the hands-on experience and technical knowledge I gained about being in a lab and working on a cell culturing experiment. I gained a lot of technical experience about growing cells and western blotting them.

This will help my future academic and career goals because I want to go into a research-oriented field but before this experience, I hadn’t had the opportunity to do anything in a laboratory. After this experience, I now know that research is what I want to do and I have the technical skills to be able to show that I am serious about research to schools and jobs.

Kianna Carpenter

Psychology major Kiana participated in the Spring Term travel course Cosmopolitan England

During our time in London, we explored the city and surrounding areas to understand their cultural influence with the literature that originated there. We learned about cosmopolitanism first-hand through lectures by guest professors at Oxford University and University College London and exploration. We studied a wide range of topics under cosmopolitanism—such as how immigration is viewed within the region and individual rights movements that were influential to society today.

Post-graduation, I plan on pursuing my Master’s in Library and Information Sciences to become a librarian. Exploring London and the historic authors who called the city their home was hugely influential to me. Knowing how impactful their work was, and seeing what inspired them, inspires me to continue to learn and question the world around me.

Reanna J. Stopjik

Psychology and Dance major Reanna participated in thetravel spring term course Origins of Psychology

I  was also able to see important sites that related to the origins of psychology. Ultimately, this trip didn’t just teach me about the past, it taught me about the power of place. Psychology came alive as I observed how individuals and entire cultures cope with memory, trauma, identity, and change. Whether through memorials, museums, city planning, or personal stories, I came away with a more nuanced understanding of the human mind in context.

More than anything, I’ve learned that psychology is everywhere. It’s reflected in the faces of museum visitors, in the architecture of memory, and in the ways societies choose to heal or remember. I return home with not only academic insights, but also a deeper emotional intelligence and empathy. These are qualities I now believe are just as essential to the study of psychology as any theory or textbook.

Nolan Woodman

Environmental Studies major Nolan participated in the Performance and Place spring term, which traveled Michigan

I learned a lot about the impact of communities and the organizations and groups that fund them and make them able to exist to the public. It made my decision about my major more concise and confident. My experience was phenomenal. I was trying to find out what I wanted to study and thought that I had done it. But this spring term showed me different and showed me where I really want to go and what I’m interested in. Taking this course and having this experience helped me find that specific branch of engineering that I was looking for. I hope to pursue a career as an environmental engineer or environmental scientist.

Learning and seeing people’s viewpoints and stories about the places in their community that mean the most to them and their history, all of it is very important when it comes to understanding culture and places that are new and different from your own. I believe it will help me to look for opportunities and places that I didn’t think to look before, in terms of not only future jobs but also helping out the community of where I end up in terms of living, giving back and investing in one’s community and place is an investment for everyone’s future.

Nicole Yacks

IPH and Dance major Nicole worked with Dance faculty to design an independent study in Polynesian Dance, which she completed in Hawaii

This was a valuable experience because I got to learn about Polynesian dance, culture, and history. It was an exquisite experience and gained so much knowledge, and life skills for my future. I got to learn about 5 new styles of dance along with 3 styles I already know and do in a different setting. I got to watch an entire show in Polynesian dance and it opened my eyes to so much more that different cultures take on dance in an influential way. I got to witness Pearl Harbor, which was one of very many historic places/information I got to learn about that happened right on the island, and to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center. It showed me parts of the world are so different and there is so much we really don’t know about, about other cultures.

This experience definitely helped my future by teaching me to be independent and how to navigate things without someone being there. Also, I will be able to add to my resume’ the different types of new dance styles I learned while being down there, which I could teach or talk about with the dance company and my future classes I teach when I graduate along with every single historical and cultural aspect of this trip as I have gained more knowledge for the dance world and now I can educate others I encounter.