Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 37

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WiN AT A GLANCE
YOUNG ALUMNI JOIN
WHEATON IN NETWORK
HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN WiN?

“God did a movement in Kuwait that none of us were
expecting,” he says.
John returned to the United States in July 2013,
and is now director of programs and operations at
White Sulphur Springs.
Brother Jim took a different path, enrolling as an
engineering student at West Point in 1994. He was
commissioned into the Army from West Point, and
immediately entered active duty. Just four months after
getting married, Jim deployed to Iraq for a year as part
of the first invasion in 2003. “No one knew what was
going to happen, or that we would be gone for so long,”
says Jim, noting that it made for a unique first year
of marriage.
During his second deployment to Iraq, Jim served as
Company Commander of 150 soldiers, and encountered
threats such as enemy ambushes and roadside bombs.
“That kind of experience strips everything in life away
until you start to see what’s really important,” says
Jim. “I was hungry for God in Iraq. I prayed all the time
because I had a burden for those soldiers.”
After returning to the United States, Jim visited John at
Wheaton, where John was serving as assistant professor
of military science. Jim was struck by the motivated
Wheaton cadets. A few years after John left Wheaton,
Jim joined Wheaton’s Rolling Thunder Battalion as
professor of military science in July 2013. He says John
remains a great recruiter for Wheaton’s program.
“Wheaton is a unique place to make a positive impact on
the next generation of officers,” says Jim. “Here
we boldly help cadets wrestle with how they will both
serve their country and live for Christ.”
W H EATON .EDU / M A G A Z I N E

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I heard about WiN from emails, advertisements, and
friends. I was interested because I was exploring new
career fields and wanted to connect with people who
had relevant experience and insights they could share.
MEET
MEGAN LARUSSO ’

A Spanish major at
Wheaton, she’s now
the marketing and
recruitment coordinator
for the Semester in
Spain program at Trinity
Christian College. She’s
also just one of many
students and young
alumni taking advantage
of Wheaton in Network
(WiN), an online tool
for networking and
conversations about
career and calling.

WHAT CONNECTIONS DID YOU MAKE THROUGH THE
NETWORK AND WHAT DIFFERENCE HAVE THESE
CONNECTIONS MADE?

I connected with a lovely woman who is currently working
in the human resources field. She was kind enough to
meet with me and share her story. She later gave me
advice on applying for a job, determining references, and
negotiating the offer. It was wonderful to have a fellow
Wheaton alumna help me by sharing her knowledge,
experience, and advice. I am very grateful to have met
with her and hope to continue meeting on occasion.
WHAT SORT OF CONVERSATIONS CAME OUT OF YOUR
WiN CONNECTION?

We had conversations about everything from dating and
life a er school to different career fields and how to
negotiate a job offer.
WHAT ADVICE OR ENCOURAGEMENT WOULD YOU
GIVE TO YOUR PEERS ABOUT WiN?

I highly recommend that recent graduates use WiN to
connect with the extensive network we have through
Wheaton College. So many people have done all kinds
of different things and are ready and willing to share their
wisdom. Sign up today, and start looking for connections.

QUESTIONS?
EMAIL US AT
WIN@WHEATON EDU

Last spring Wheaton launched WiN 2.0, which allows
young alumni (graduates of the last 10 years) to
connect with advisers. By late 2014, WiN will be open
to all alumni looking to network with fellow Wheaton
graduates. Sign up for WiN today at win.wheaton.edu.
Follow us on facebook.com/we10alumni to stay up to
date on young alumni news and events.

WHEATON

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