Feature Story

Beaming with Pride

students at lion statue taking selfie

This summer, the Widener community is taking to Twitter and Instagram to share their pride with the world.

Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are posting about the impact Widener has had on them, whether it鈥檚 the lifelong friendships forged, the eye-opening study abroad experiences, or how opportunities inside the classroom and out have helped place them on the path to fulfilling lives and successful careers.

It鈥檚 all part of the annual Forbes magazine national social media contest, which seeks to crown the college with the 鈥渂uzz-worthiest school spirit.鈥 More than halfway into the eight-week-long contest (it ends Aug. 9), Widener is ranked among the top 10 in the country.

How did we get here? Tweets like this one from alumnus David Almacy 鈥92鈥

Or this one from Aidan Hostetter 鈥19, a political science / international relations and French 尘补箩辞谤鈥&苍产蝉辫;

#MyTopCollege is @WidenerUniv for giving me global opportunities no other college would and helped me become a student leader #WidenerLeadershipWorks

-my internship for the Quebec government
-meeting former UK Prime Minister David Cameron
-EuroSim: a simulation of the EU pic.twitter.com/WhQ4aoX9LL

鈥 not aidan (@first0aidan0kit) July 16, 2018

To participate in the contest, publicly tweet or post to Instagram using #MyTopCollege and tagging Widener鈥檚 main accounts - Twitter: ; Instagram: .

Forbes counts one post per person per day. So daily posts are encouraged.

Some of the best posts are featured on Forbes鈥 website and shared on their social channels. Each week Forbes ranks the top 10 schools in the country, and at the end of the contest, will crown ultimate winners in three school-size categories.

Each week carries a specific impact theme. During week 3 (study abroad), communication studies major Sam DeVecchis 鈥19 posted about how Widener international study opportunities introduced him to travel and transformed his life: 鈥淭he world opened up, my horizons expanded, I got to see completely new people, lifestyles, and mindsets. It changed me.... I am unfathomably thankful for the opportunities Widener has provided as they have irreversibly changed the course of my life and allowed me to grow in ways I never knew I could. SO THANKS WIDENER 鉂も

During week 4 (friendship theme), alumna Diamond Schuler '18 posted this gem...

Faculty and staff members have also been sharing poignant as well as light-hearted reflections of Widener. Brent Satterly, associate professor of social work, shared this tweet鈥

Darrell Spurlock, associate professor of nursing, posted about the commitment and dedication of his colleagues鈥

And, of course, President Julie Wollman has been actively tweeting about all the reasons Widener is her top college鈥

So join the chorus, and show the world what makes Widener such a special place.
 

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