Widener Tallies Win in Forbes #MyTopCollege Contest
Widener pride runs deep, and now the entire country knows it!
In the 6th annual social media contest, Widener won the medium school division (2,000 to 15,000 students), besting colleges and universities from around the nation.
And the university finished the 8-week long contest in second place overall, topping its fifth-place finish in 2018.
Forbes calls the #MyTopCollege contest the 鈥渦ltimate school pride ranking.鈥 Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are asked to share on Twitter and Instagram what makes their school so special, from the friendships forged to the impactful experiences that have set them on a path for a lifetime of success.
Forbes tallies winners based on quantity and quality of posts.
This year鈥檚 overall theme was time travel 鈥 a trip though the past, present, and future of a school. Each week carried a specific sub-theme.
So how did Widener win its division? With incredible posts like this one from Samantha Scoma 鈥20 about the strong mentorship from faculty鈥
And this one from alumnus Aidan Hostetter 鈥19 about how his Widener experiences have set him on his path...
What makes Widener stand above the rest?
鈥 Aidan Hostetter (@AidanHostetter)
4 years difference to the day i go from Pride statue as a student to working for a candidate for President of the United States
Insert countless other experiences in between and that鈥檚 what makes
President Julie E. Wollman helped lead the charge in this year's contest. For "freshman year memories" week, she shared this post...
What鈥檚 more fun than being the first person to greet our new freshmen & their families as they drive up on move-in day? 鈦︹仼 is because I get to chat with these happy and excited folks while they wait to unload and start the experience of a lifetime!
鈥 President Wollman (@WidenerPres)
During the "traditions" theme week, Michaela Mertz 鈥21 touched on one of our favorites鈥
Favorite Widener tradition: petting Chester鈥檚 nose for good luck! Love sharing this with potential students when giving tours, they get a kick out of it!
鈥 Mickey 馃嚭馃嚫 (@MichaelaMertz1)
When the "sports" theme week rolled around, baseball coach pitched in this one..
is because has set a new standard for Excellence with 7 straight 20+ win seasons, 6 straight appearances in Conference Semi-Final or Final Game, and 8 years running with above a 3.0 Team GPA!!!
鈥 Mike LaRosa (@CoachLaRosa)
When the community was asked to post about those special Widener friendships, mentorships, and relationships, they did not disappoint.
Advisors become trusted at , from Day 1 to Commencement Day.
鈥 Janet Long, EdD (@IntegritySearch)
And this post from alumnus Danny Secord just melted hearts鈥
Back in 2013 at I met this beautiful smart nursing student who I quickly began dating and then married in 2017. Our wedding had 20 alum from Widener at least! We are expecting our first baby in November! All of this love because of Widener!
鈥 Danny Secord 鈿 (@coachsecord27)
When it came time to turning toward the future of Widener, some great predictions poured in, including this one from Angie Corbo, associate professor of communication studies...
is proud to offer a state-of-the art education while providing real world experiences. In the next 5 years, we'll have an even more amazing alumni changing lives in the field.
鈥 Angie Corbo (@amcorbo)
In its final week, the contest delved into the #10YearChallenge, asking people to share how they鈥檝e grown and changed due to their Widener experience. Professor Brent Satterly offered this retrospective of his time on campus...
, I grew as an out gay faculty member where I learned to advocate for social justice for students over the course of the last 20 years!
鈥 Brent Satterly (@basatterly)
And our alumni topped it all off with heartfelt looks at the lifelong friendships forged here鈥
Met these ladies at ! Lifelong friends since 馃挄 The best four years ever!
鈥 Meach Esq. (@DemetricaTodd)
