Category: Student Spotlights

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CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 4 with Jake Dobransky

Jake Dobransky

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is junior Jake Dobransky, who is pursuing a Business Economics major.

I asked Jake how the CliftonStrengths Assessment has helped to shape his understanding of calling and vocation, and he said, “The CliftonStrengths Assessment has helped me see that whatever future God has for me, He has wired me with strengths and gifts to prepare me for my future roles.” I also asked Jake about how learning his results has helped him in his academics and he said that the assessment has not really influenced his academic work. Although he did say it gave him a greater understanding of who he is, but he is still the same student as he was before.

I discussed with Jake how learning, and now knowing his results, has helped him in different leadership roles he may experience. He said, “The assessment gave me clear insight that my strengths don’t center in influencing others. If I want to inspire or change a group of people’s minds, it may be best for me to connect with an individual with influence and have them encourage others with their help.” I also asked him how learning his results has helped him in relationships with others, both on and off-campus, he said, “With my greater awareness of my sense of responsibility, I try to be more patient with those around me who like to waste time.  It is right and natural to be balanced, and that means having fun is good once in a while.” Jake said learning his different strengths and talents through this assessment has helped him to be a better Residents Assistant (RA) to those he serves. He said both in understanding why he values his work and how he can better engage with his residents.

Jake said he has not noticed any significant changes in his daily life, but he realizes now he is more self-aware. He said when working with others he is more patient and tries to selectively choose his words in order to achieve the best end result in any given situation. Jake said the best takeaway from this assessment was, “I am not an influencer by nature and must rely on facts and reason to convince others.  I have adjusted my efforts in how I try to relate with those around me.”

Jake plans to start a career where he can utilize the economics he is learning here at Grove City College and pair it alongside his love for data analytics when he graduates. Here on campus Jake is a member of the Beta Sigma fraternity, a Residents Assistant (RA) in Lincoln, a member of the Men’s Club Volleyball Team, a member of the Crimson and White Society, and a Member of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK).

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CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 3 with Garrett O’Toole

Garrett O’Toole

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is senior Garrett O’Toole who is pursuing a Communications Studies major.

I asked Garrett how the CliftonStrengths assessment has shaped his understanding of calling and vocation, and he said, “It has really helped me learn about how I’m wired, and where my natural gifts are found. It’s essentially a more in-depth Myers-Briggs test, which allows participants to understand themselves more, which helps greatly in terms of determining one’s calling and vocation. Its results are a great resource to learn the language behind these strengths and apply them to potential job or internship positions.” I also talked to Garrett about how learning his results has helped him in his academics and he said his results have helped him to more clearly define his study habits, and to put a theory behind why he does things in terms of schoolwork. He said, “I mainly understand why I study the way I do, which is helpful to me because it’s something I can point to while I’m studying and questioning why I am doing it.”

I also asked Garrett how learning his results have helped him in different leadership positions. He said this is one of the areas where knowing his results helped him the most. He said, “From the insights that StrengthsFinder gave me based on my results, I’ve actually applied some of the things the assessment said to my leadership style. It clicked with me that I lead others the way I do based on my strength results and putting some language behind it has slightly changed the way I lead to more effectively accomplish things and to empower others while using their strengths.” I also talked to Garrett about how his results have impacted relationships with others both on and off campus, and he said that one of his strengths is communication, so he can also put theory behind why the way he communicates has helped him to gain a better understanding on how to navigate through certain social situations. He also said, “It has also helped me to communicate in a more uplifting way now that I’m more aware of it, not that I didn’t before, but just being more cognizant of my own habits has been beneficial.”

Garrett works in the Advancement Office on campus, so he said having his strengths results has helped him to focus his work on things that pair well with his results. He said, “As a result, knowing where my skills are, I take on assignments that I know I can do really well, along with producing high-quality work that the office can use for their constituents.” Garrett said this has been a beneficial way he has utilized his results outside of the classroom. I asked Garrett if he has noticed any significant changes in his life since learning his results from the assessment. He said, “In terms of ‘significant changes’, I wouldn’t say so, but I can definitely attest to a significant awareness that was raised based on my results.” Garrett said the best takeaway he gained from this assessment was how the StrengthsFinder uses a theory that focuses more on your strengths, rather thank your weaknesses. He said, “This in turn allows participants to focus on things like vocational calling, which is definitely different when compared to more general tests like an MBTI exam.”

Garrett plans to do anything in terms of business, marketing or higher education when he leaves Grove City College, and here on campus he is involved with the Student Government Association (SGA), a member of the Adelphoi En Christo (AEX) Housing Group, a Residents Assistant (RA), and he is a Center for Vision and Values Student Fellow.

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CliftonStrengths Assessment Project | Part 2 with Kristen Bishop

Kristen Bishop

This year, Grove City College had several students take the CliftonStrengths assessment for free as part of a grant the college was awarded in order to foster a deeper exploration of calling and vocation for the students. The program development grant is from the Council of Independent Colleges, specifically their Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education. This assessment endeavors to provide students with a common language of talents and strengths and attempts to promote a culture where students thrive both inside the classroom here at Grove City College, and in the outside world. One of those students that took the CliftonStrengths Assessment is senior Kristen Bishop, who is pursuing a Communications Studies major, with a Biblical and Religious Studies minor. Kristen’s top five strengths from the assessment include: communication, activator, ideation, woo, and strategic.

I asked Kristen how the CliftonStrengths assessment has shaped her understanding of calling and vocation, and she said, “It has helped me understand gifts that I have been given and how to embrace them and use them well. Instead of trying to fit a mold I now understand I should look for a job that I am already gifted at so that I can help a company, organization, or non-profit do well and grow.” I also asked Kristen how learning her results has helped her in her academics and she said the results have helped her to understand why school has always been a struggle for her, and how she can learn best and adapt her learning style and study habits to aid herself in the best way possible.

I also discussed with her how learning her results have helped her in different leadership roles. She said the results allow her to focus in on the gifts she has and help her to better understand her leadership roles. She said, “I understand that I love to get things started right away, communicate plans of action, create new ideas and ways of getting jobs done, and working with others.”

I asked about how her results have helped her in different relationships with others both on and off campus, she said, “Being aware of my strengths has helped me be aware of how I go about problems or issues, but also learning about other’s strengths has helped me understand that there might be miscommunication because we are coming from different points of view.” Kristen said her results help her most in a job setting when it comes to how well she works with others. She said it also encourages her to learn more about her leadership style and how she learns best.

I inquired if she has noticed any significant changes in her daily life since learning her results from the CliftonStrengths Assessment, and she said, “I do practices to help me grow in my strengths. For example, with ideation, I have an idea book and write down all my ideas so that I can sort through them and actually work on them!” Kristen said the best take away she has gained since taking this assessment is learning that you grow more when focusing on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. She said, “Instead of trying to fit into a job you aren’t gifted in, look for a career your natural gifts lead you to. You’ll then be able to help more in the job and feel more fulfilled.”

Kristen plans to work with the Young Life Field Staff when she leaves Grove City College. Here on campus she is involved with the Gamma Sigma Phi sorority and she is a Young Life Leader.

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Double Varsity Sports with Gretchen Elsey

Gretchen Elsey Competing in the High Jump
Gretchen Taking a Shot on the Basketball Court

Gretchen Elsey is a sophomore here at Grove City College, majoring in Exercise Science, while also pursuing a Nutrition minor. When Gretchen is not in the classroom, you can most likely find her on the basketball court or on the track. That is correct, Gretchen plays two different sports at the varsity level for Grove City College. Gretchen is a shooting guard for the women’s basketball team, and she does mostly high jump, with a little bit of long jump for the track and field team.

Gretchen said it takes drive and discipline to play two varsity sports at the collegiate level, but she said she would not want it any other way. When I asked Gretchen about the time she must commit to both sports she said, “Basketball is definitely much more demanding because the season is so long. Our basketball team does a lot of community service projects as well so it’s not just basketball practice every day and it’s super cool to be able to reach out to the community and form those relationships. Whereas track is a little different because I miss a large majority of the indoor season because of basketball. They both take the same level of commitment though, in both sports, the team and coaches are relying on you to show up and focus in to get 1% better each day.”

Gretchen said she had always planned on playing two varsity level sports when she decided to come to Grove City College. I asked Gretchen if she prefers one sport over the other and she said, “That’s a tough question because they are so different. Track is nice because its more individualized in a team setting and it’s scored as a team event, but it heavily relies on how the individual performs. Basketball is 100% a team sport and everyone needs one another to perform at its best.” Gretchen said she has recently excelled more in track, but that basketball has taught her a lot about being mentally tough, which she can carry over from the court to the track.

Advantages coming from playing two sports, according to Gretchen, are all the friends and connections that are made and being like a big family with your team. She also said playing two sports really teaches her how to manage and balance her time effectively. Gretchen said some disadvantages are having less time for relaxing and taking naps, and that trying to make plans can be difficult because there is often a lack of free time.

I asked Gretchen how she manages her time when she is in the heat of her sports seasons, and she said, “It can be challenging but having very little free time really makes you have to do your work in between classes or right after practice. I’ve always been bouncing around from sport to sport and keeping busy, so for me it’s still the same routine.”

I also asked Gretchen how she focuses on academics when she is in the thick of her two different schedules, and she said, “It can be hard at times especially when there are those weeks where it feels like you have absolutely everything due and five exams and no time to do any of it, but I know that in a few years I won’t have competitive sports anymore so ultimately, I’m here to focus on my academics because that will follow me after my college career.”

Gretchen Elsey is the 3rd on the team in 3-pointers, and a two-year letter winner for the women’s basketball team. When it comes to track and field, Gretchen is the 2018 Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) outdoor high jump champion, 1st Team All-PAC, she has been named PAC Rookie of the Week twice, she has been named ECAC Rookie of the Week twice, she is the 2019 PAC indoor high jump champion, and she is the indoor record holder for women’s high jump at Grove City College.

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How a Grove City Student Started His Own Business to Help Pay for College

College is an investment. A student pays a sum of money for four years of an unforgettable experience, a rigorous education, and lifelong friends. However, many times that sum of money can seem daunting. Junior Business Management and Marketing double major Joshua Kirk found a creative way to not only pay for college, but also earn experience within his field of study.

The summer after his sophomore year of high school, Kirk worked a very labor-intensive hardscaping and landscaping job. Using that summer to learn the business, he realized that there was a lucrative niche in the hardscaping business on which he believed he could capitalize. At the end of that summer, with an investment from his grandparents, he started tackling his own projects. By the end of the following summer, Kirk decided to start his own business, which he called Kirk Bros Lawn and Hardscape Design LLC.

Managing a team of three people (Kirk’s brother, cousin, and best friend), Kirk has created his own business that operates solely in the summer months. Kirk Bros Lawn and Hardscape Design LLC is a full service hardscaping and landscaping company that specializes in designing, building, and installing patios and retaining walls. Operating out of the Cincinnati, Ohio area, Kirk Bros Lawn and Hardscape Design LLC grosses approximately $29,000 in monthly sales during the three summer months. It does not take a calculator to see how successful this company has become.

Kirk has continued growing the business into college, working hard to try to earn enough money to pay for college. He contributes a lot of his success to two particular classes he has taken at Grove City.

“The two most influential classes I’ve taken here that have helped with my landscape company would be my sales class with Professor Kocur,” commented Kirk, “where he really helped me hone my sales skills and really helped me move into projects and close sales quicker. The other class that has been very helpful has been Accounting with Dr. Russin, [teaching me to do] my financials at the end of each year and taxes.”

Having already had a wealth of business experience, Kirk has found his classes even more engaging. “Being able to take what professors are saying and immediately applying them to experiences that I’ve already had…” has been very helpful for Kirk.

I asked Kirk if he had any tips for anyone who wants to start their own business. His face lit up, and he immediately said, “To take it one step at a time. I think if you had asked me to start the same company right now I would be super overwhelmed, but I just took it incrementally. I slowly accumulated knowledge, and experience, and tools.”

“It didn’t all happen in one summer,” Kirk said. “A huge learning experience that I’ve had is any time you are trying to create a company, you have to know that it is long term, and really focus on creating incremental steps that you can achieve along the way.”

Kirk hopes to one day pass the business down to his younger brother.

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Nanotechnology in Grove City: Part Three

Nanostructures- Micrometers-wide Bridges

Dr. Wolinski of the Grove City College Physics Department leads a study on the development and uses of Gallium Oxide nanowires. Six young men of the department work week after week tuning machines and making discoveries on the possibility of building bridges micrometers wide. Part three concludes the process (as of current) with Kaleb Slaatthaug and Michael Thompson. Kaleb shows the camera how to bake gallium oxide wires onto a gold wafer base. Michael takes it beyond the present scope of the project, and ideas for potential uses of these wires and structures in the future.

Kaleb Slaatthaug

Yes, Slaatthaug. Imagine it as Sloat-howg. His name is Norwegian. He runs a device called a Tube Furnace for the team. The furnace is a device used for the stimulation of gallium oxide nanostructure growth. Kaleb will spend several days setting up a run of the furnace, pumping in the proper gases, getting it to the right temperature, sealing in the samples, then letting it run. He begins by inserting one of Zach’s sample wafers into the furnace, alongside a boat of gallium oxide. By the time the furnace is finished, strings of gallium oxide microstructures coat the face of Kaleb’s sample, attaching to little golden “Oreo Bumps” etched by the SEM. The gold provides the perfect base for gallium to grow on, and now the team has a plethora of structures to explore with the SEM.

Michael Thompson

But where to go from here? Michael Thompson has been with the project for years now, and knows a few things about the broader scope. The initial goal of the project was to build a bridge at microscale. With plenty of structures to work with, the project aimed to build a bridge out of nanowire. This goal has been significantly pushed back, but remains in sight. Michael’s job is to make building a bridge into a possibility again. He works with a device called a Nanopositioner, essentially a laser with several mirrors. It can show him the difference between wavelengths of light, and use that information to tell the thickness of a substance. This should allow for Michael to determine the thickness of a given wire and thus its usefulness for their project. First, however, he has to spend his time programming and calibrating his nanopositioner to get him results.

Have you enjoyed this series on the Nanostructure Study? If so, there are so many more studies and blogs to read about on Insider! Make sure to check them out, along with the video below for more details on Dr. Wolinski’s group.

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Nanotechnology in Grove City: Part One

Nanostructures- Wiring Fit for an Ant

Dr. Wolinski of the Grove City College Physics Department leads a study on the development and uses of gallium oxide nanowires. Six young men of the department work week after week tuning machines and making discoveries on the possibility of building bridges micrometers wide. Part One of the series kicks off with an exhaustive look at the work of Seth Byard and Tim Magargee, the first steps of creating nanostructures for the study.

Seth Byard- Preparing Samples for Wires

Seth begins the whole process by synthesizing the samples his group will work with to create all their structures on. Without these basic building blocks there’s no point to the project. It all begins with a disk of silicon. Seth coats the silicon wafer with gold in a Sputter Coater- the first block on a long journey ahead. The atoms thick layer of gold is a substance gallium oxide can cling to, giving a wires proper surface for development. From there he purifies the surface of the wafer with a Plasma Cleaner, then applies a liquid called PMMA. The liquid ensures contact with electrons, giving the team an easy way to see their micro samples using an SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope). When Seth is done, the foundation for the whole project has been laid.

Tim Magargee- Testing Machinery

Meanwhile, Tim’s job for the project is to test a machine called the Ellipsometer. It is a device that uses a laser to measure the thickness of surfaces, down to only nanometers thick. Tim has spent his semester testing and calibrating the machine with a more translucent material. He still sputters gold, but clear material allows the Ellipsometer to get an exact read of the gold’s thickness. In the end, Tim ends up with a reliable test of the machine’s efficiency. He can now check his knowledge of a sputter’s thickness against the machine’s readout. When he gets enough tests done he will know just how accurate the readouts are and how much to calibrate the Ellipsometer.

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out the video in the link below for the full story!

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Internship Opportunity with Highmark Health

Kiley Hajek is a senior Marketing Management major from Butler, Pa. The summer after her junior year, Kiley had an internship with Highmark Health in Pittsburgh. Being a Marketing Management major myself, I was curious to hear what Kiley did with Highmark this past summer.

When I asked Kiley about her role with the company and what she accomplished that summer she replied, “I was interning in their Community Affairs Department. I was in charge of coordinating two separate volunteer days for the other 120 interns working in the Downtown Pittsburgh office for the summer. I also helped with employee PTO volunteer days. I worked on internal communications for Community Affairs and worked on several fundraising projects. I also researched applicants to the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community.”

I followed with, “Did you enjoy your experience?” Which she quickly answered, “I really enjoyed my experience. I didn’t know that Community Affairs existed in large corporations before this summer, and I learned a lot about the department and its function in the company. I also loved working in downtown Pittsburgh. I parked my car about 20 minutes from my building and rode a bike from the bike sharing company, Healthy Rides, every day, which was quite the experience. I definitely saw the city in a whole new light this summer. After working there this summer, I realized that I think I will thrive in a smaller non-profit environment, where I can feel that my work is helping people, and where I feel challenged in the variation of my day to day tasks. I learned a lot this summer about myself and what I want to do after graduation, so I am very thankful for the experience!”

Kiley acquired this internship through the help of her advisors in the Business and Marketing Department. Her opportunity at Highmark is just another example of the connections and possibilities available for Grove City College students.

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Inside Married Life: Priya Sprunk’s Perspective

Priya Sprunk was a Psychology major with a concentration in Exercise Science during her time at Grove City College. As a member of the 2017 graduating class, Priya still feels very connected with the students. She was a member of the Sigma Theta Chi sorority, and still holds close relationships with the current girls, along with alumni. About a month after graduation, Priya was married to her best friend, Nate Sprunk, who changed her formerly the last name of Graczyk. Since Nate is a current senior at The Grove, Priya was able to shed some light on their relationship while in different stages of their lives.

When asked what it is like with Nate still in school, Priya responded with:

“It is different for sure. It is a somewhat challenging dynamic when one person in a relationship works full time and one is a student full time. I sometimes wish I didn’t have to live in my college town because it makes me feel like I haven’t fully moved on from college. However, my job helps me feel like I’m making a difference, which helps. I work as an instructor for adults with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities who have graduated from high school, but still, need to develop independent living and employment skills before living on their own. I really enjoy it!”

Priya stressed how it has been hard to make time for other friends after working full time and then coming home to spend time with Nate.  However, she feels that marriage has helped both become more independent and hard-working, along with giving them the happiness of living together.

“We met about 10 years ago when I was in 7th grade and Nate was in 6th grade. We were part of the same youth group and were always close friends. I had a huge crush on him, but we didn’t start dating until the summer of 2014 before my freshman year at Grove City College. The college time together helped us grow together; I don’t even recognize the young and immature teenage couple we were four years ago. Living in a Christian environment helped me grow spiritually and make Christian friends who hold me accountable while encouraging me. Later we began to think about marriage as we started thinking about our future careers and what we wanted for our lives.  By the fall of my junior year after many discussions by ourselves, with both sets of parents, and with friends, we had decided we were ready to commit our lives to each other. We were engaged the following March,” Priya said.

Priya and Nate continue to enjoy each other’s company, build upon their relationship, and focus on God. By attending church, reading their Bibles, and praying together, their commitment to growing spiritually has shown in their actions toward others and each other. They lift one another up while practicing patience and empathy in the hard moments. Priya looks forward to their awesome future.

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A Major League Intern

Nate Curry, a 2019 senior, may seem like your average student athlete, but last summer he had a major experience with Major League Soccer (MLS) at its National Sales Center. Located in Blaine, Minn., Nate spent the summer as an intern supporting the current crop of post-graduates who were going through the sales training program themselves.

An internship at Grove City can be used for class credit if it meets the criteria set forth by each academic department. A few of these requirements may include regular contact with your faculty advisor, logging your hours worked, and a paper to reflect on your time as an intern. Depending on the number of hours of work an intern does, they can receive an upwards of six hours of class credit. A student’s faculty advisor for their internship will be a professor who has had firsthand experience in that type of work. This has proven to benefit our students because they can go into their internships knowing what they can expect, as well as being aware of what challenges they may be faced with.

I sat down with Nate and his faculty advisor, Dr. Scott Powell, to discuss what Nate’s experience at the National Sales Center was like. Dr. Powell also gave us some insight on the advantages of doing an internship for academic credit, as well as why Grove City encourages all of their students to take advantage of those benefits.

Dr. Powell and Nate went more in depth on Nate’s internship, the importance of an academically verified internship, and what it looks like to be a Christian in a secular work environment. If you are interested in learning more about these topics, you can view our full interview here: https://youtu.be/_RBSy-zZfAo