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With golf in mind and the search for a great business school, Heidelberg came into play for Alyssa Pecharka. Although golf didn’t work out, she soon realized the opportunities the world has to offer her. As a junior accounting major, Alyssa found a home here at Heidelberg, where she continues to step out of her comfort zone, an aspect of life that she believes to be very important.

Dr. Salil Khetani is originally from Mumbai, India. He worked in sales and marketing for about seven years and got his MBA while working in the industry as well. He then moved to Salt Lake City and studied for his Ph.D. in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing. As the assistant professor of Marketing at Heidelberg, he has come a long way from home.

Heidelberg was one of 40 jobs for which Dr. Pam Faber applied. Growing up in the country, she was always around nature and found that she preferred to spend her time outside, which is where her interest in biology first started. With six degrees under her belt, Dr. Faber teaches anatomy and physiology courses as well as two different labs. But, she is known for much more than her teaching.

Heidelberg always had Taylor Valentine’s interest. Her club volleyball team was located in Tiffin and she even played for head volleyball coach Jason Miller as her club coach for two years. “I had gotten used to his coaching style and liked the success of his program at Heidelberg,” she says. On top of already knowing her future college coach, she knew she wanted a school that was close to home. Taylor loved the feel of the campus but what really sealed the deal was the opportunity to earn an MBA tuition free through the PlusOneAdvantage® program. At Heidelberg, Taylor has enjoyed her time on the volleyball team for all four year

As a member of Heidelberg’s men’s lacrosse team, Marcus Marasigan arrived at Heidelberg when the sport was in just its second season. He originally enrolled at another college to play the sport, but changes in the program left him looking for a new home. When Heidelberg was able to match the financial aid, he was sold. Here, he has been able to expand his horizons beyond the classroom, pick up a couple of new hobbies and continue to tackle opportunities presented to him.

It literally came down to the flip of a coin. Leah Cordy had narrowed her college choice to the Berg and a much larger public institution. At the 11 th hour, she decided to leave her decision to chance. The coin came up heads for Heidelberg. But there were a few other strong factors in Heidelberg’s favor. “When I got here for my visit, it just felt good. It felt like home,” says Leah, who brought with her enough College Credit Plus credits to enter as a sophomore. It helped tremendously that Heidelberg was the only school that would accept all of those credits and count them as both gen eds and electives.

Tommy Severson was “this close” to mailing in his deposit to another, smaller school, but he had a last-minute change of heart. There was just something about Heidelberg he couldn’t shake. “I’d always known about Heidelberg and always liked it,” he says. Maybe it was the familiarity with the campus or the perfect size, but now, as he begins his final semester, he’s glad he made the choice he did.

It’s been quite a transition from sunny southern California to snow-in-November Tiffin, Ohio, but one that Dr. Sarah Lazzari is happy to have made. At least when Sarah and her son, Donovan, moved to Tiffin last summer, they got to experience a typical Midwest season. She is settling in beautifully to her new role as assistant professor of criminology and Donovan is settling in equally as well. “When I was interviewing, the biggest difference was that Heidelberg had me sit down and talk with students, and that said a lot. That’s why I got into teaching,” she says.

Jaylen Bannister didn’t know that Heidelberg – the first college among several that he visited – would become home. He had been recruited by defensive coordinator Branden Jakubcin, among others, and although he was interested in continuing to play football, he “just wanted to go to school.” Although late in the game, Jaylen, who’s from Berea, Ohio, committed to Heidelberg and he knows now he made the right decision.

Sometimes, people know what they want to do with their lives very early on. That’s Liz Zak. “My high school had a career tech program … I did the agriculture science program all four years,” says Liz. That experience confirmed for her that she wanted to pursue a career as a veterinarian, working with exotic animals. She’s well on her way. But there’s more to this animal lover and dog mom from Oregon, Ohio.

Since she graduated from Heidelberg in 2004, Alisha (Davis) Watkins has been successfully climbing the ladder in her career as an accountant – and now partner – at Plante Moran’s Southfield, Michigan office. A CPA, Alisha provides assurance and consulting services to clients in the government and healthcare industries, working with organizations

Dr. Barry Devine’s career as a radio broadcaster was short-lived, and Heidelberg is all the better for it. “I decided that was not the career for me, so I went back to school,” he says. As he pursued his second undergrad degree in English at the University of Washington, he realized what he really enjoys is literature. “And it turns out you can do a lot with an English degree.” When he finished his second degree, he met his future wife, Heleana Theixos, and they set off on grad school adventures that eventually brought both of them to Heidelberg.

Heidelberg came to Maia Brower long before she ever set foot on campus. During her sophomore year in high school, she began taking voice lessons from ’Berg music instructor Dr. Renée Claire, who went on the road for the lessons. One of the stops was Maia’s high school in Oak Harbor, Ohio. “I really enjoyed having her here every time she came,” Maia recalls. She has continued voice lessons all four years with Renée, also pursuing her interest in instrumental music with flute instructor Lori Akins.

Ethan Miller entered Heidelberg as a chemistry major because that’s what his family told him he was best at. Nothing against the sciences, but by the end of his freshman year, he realized that his passion was in the arts and humanities. “I really latched onto English. That’s what makes me tick,” says Ethan, now a senior preparing for grad school. “English was one of the things that helped me find me and my identity.” So he switched his major to English writing and added theatre and psychology minors.

Em Swain had their heart set on going out of state for college – so much so that they were “very upset” that they loved Heidelberg so much when they visited. If it’s possible, they love it even more in their second year as an Honors student majoring in philosophy and double minoring in theatre and writing. They found interesting passions to pursue, too, including theatre, Greek life, improv comedy – even research.

Lexie Page-Boyd was recruited to Heidelberg as a thrower on the track team. But it was the bigger picture that sealed the deal for her. In her senior year, Lexie has thrived as an environmental science major and student-athlete. “Initially it was a track decision, but overall, it was the education. I definitely think I made the right choice,” she says. Balancing a full schedule in and out of the classroom and lab, she’s one of the busiest students you’ll meet.

No, it’s not Serve-a-Sandwich and yes, it’s pronounced just like it sounds. Junior Jason Surmaceviz found his “Heidel-home” the moment he went on a tour of campus. “It was down to a couple of colleges, but everyone was so friendly here and it felt like a big family,” says Jason, who put down his deposit at the end of the tour and never looked back. Today, he’s involved in a number of key positions behind the scenes, organizing and executing key events on campus.

When Julia Campbell was touring colleges, she ultimately chose the much larger Eastern Michigan University. But she just couldn’t shake that feeling she experienced when accompanying her older sister on a visit to Heidelberg. “The whole time I was at EMU, I kept thinking, ‘What would have happened if I had chosen Heidelberg,’” Julia says. After one year, she transferred and is currently in her third semester at the Berg. She’s completely happy with her decision!

As a student at Heidelberg in the mid-1970s, Elrich L. “Pete” Green was a larger-than-life personality on campus, engaged in activities across the board where he could truly make a difference. He was a track student-athlete, WHEI business manager, performed with the Jazz Band, worked in residence life and was a member of Black Student Union, Sigma