Magnet: Creative Writing

I had the privilege of attending Stivers with Emily Freed, and when I think back on our high school days, I am immediately reminded of Emily’s amazing talent for writing, her impeccable attention to detail, and her ability to juggle a multitude of extra-curricular activities and hobbies while maintaining a flawless GPA. When I caught up with Emily recently, I quickly realized that those wonderful traits are still propelling her to succeed.

Emily graduated with Highest Honors from Purdue University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and Political Science. In addition to making the Dean’s List for all eight semesters, she participated in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Honors Program, served as a CLA Ambassador, and was president of the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Sigma Delta Tau sorority.

Upon graduating from Purdue, Emily relocated to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to work for Stryker, a Fortune 500 medical device manufacturing company.  In just seven years, Emily has earned four promotions. As an Associate Regulatory Affairs Manager, Emily manages a team of six personnel in the areas of document control, change control, and other quality-system related activities. Although the majority of her career has been focused on regulatory affairs, Emily briefly worked in information technology, where she focused on general project management and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. Emily is also attending grad school at Purdue to earn a certificate in Regulatory and Quality Compliance.

Although Emily stays busy with her thriving career and her graduate studies, she makes time to contribute to the community. She currently serves as a volunteer advisor and an advisor coordinator for her sorority and is the co-chair of a strategic planning committee. Emily also mentors foster children enrolled at Western Michigan University.

I asked Emily how her time at Stivers helped prepare her for the real world. “Stivers gave me the opportunity to work with people of many different experiences and backgrounds, which has definitely come into play following graduation,” she says. “In addition, it gave me an incredible appreciation for the arts, something which I am now passionate about supporting in my local community.”

Emily enjoys living in Kalamazoo with her dog, Polly, who she refers to as the “world’s best yellow lab rescue dog!” Kalamzoo is “a lovely microcosm of the ‘Midwestern’ city,” says Emily. “We have two universities in town, which contributes to a great arts and restaurant community.”

We are excited to share the accomplishments of Stivers grads! Interested in being featured? Click here.

Magnet: Orchestra

Ms. Shandi Schlegel is a Stivers School for the Arts Alumna from the Class of 2009. Her love for math and encouragement from a teacher propelled Shandi to study mechanical engineering. Once Shandi has an engineering degree under her belt, she plans to enter cosmetology school and dreams of inheriting ownership of an engineering firm.

Shandi is a junior mechanical engineering major at Wright State University. As a high school sophomore, Ms. Sorrell encouraged Shandi to attend WSU’s Summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, amd Math) Program. Shandi says that she absolutely loves math and “didn’t want to pass an opportunity to learn more.” Shandi will finish out her degree at Kent State next year after she moves to Aurora, Ohio, with her boyfriend, Richard. She also hopes to work for and someday inherit Richard’s family’s aerospace engineering firm.

In addition to her aptitude in engineering, Shandi also has a penchant for style and plans to pursue a cosmetology degree after graduation. “I’ve never heard of an engineering student going for a cosmetology degree,” says Shandi. “From working at Ulta Beauty and Sally Beauty Group, I have developed such an interest in [cosmetology]. I want to do two things that I enjoy: makeup and hair, and engineering.”

How does Shandi balance engineering with cosmetology? “Girls can be pretty and smart,” Shandi says. “I’m the ditzy, blonde girl who wears too much pink but walks into an engineering class or calculus class with her head held high to prove that women are more capable that society thinks we are.” And Shandi sure is proving herself – one of her proudest accomplishments since graduating from Stivers was earning a B in Calculus 3, a class that is notorious for its rigor.

Shandi credits Stivers with giving her a strong foundation for college. “Stivers gave me a very good education. I was able to go straight into calculus classes [at Wright State] and didn’t have to take any developmental English classes.” Shandi is grateful to Ms. Sorrell (“telling me about that program changed my life!”) and Mr. Asadorian (“thank heavens for Ace!”) for helping her discover her strengths and interests.

We asked Shandi what advice she would give to current Stivers seniors interested in pursuing engineering: “Engineering is hard work,” she says, “but if it is what you want to do, don’t let anyone stop you.” Shandi would like to let all Stivers students know about the wealth of opportunities in engineering and get students interested in math and science earlier in their high school career.

Shandi is the first Stivers School for the Arts alum to be featured in the Alumni Spotlight. Check back weekly for more exciting stories from exceptional Stivers grads!