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New regent provides 'great and recent understanding' of student experience

By Karl Olson '08
February 20, 2008

It hasn't even been three years since Janine Wetzel '05 graduated from St. Olaf College, but already she is using an opportunity to serve on the Board of Regents to ensure that current Oles have as rewarding an experience as she had on the Hill.

JanineWetzelLarge
Janine Wetzel '05
Wetzel recently joined the St. Olaf Board of Regents as the recent student regent. President David R. Anderson '74 says Wetzel, a political science major and current recruitment director for Teach for America, offers a "great and recent understanding of the student experience."

"It's important for the board to have input from a broad range of alumni and friends of the college, including recent graduates who have a particular perspective, based on the recency of their experience, that other board members can benefit from," Anderson says.

Wetzel replaces former recent student regent Daniel Grossman '03. She will serve a two-year term, which began when she attended her first board meeting at the end of November. As she begins her new role, Wetzel shares her thoughts on joining the Board of Regents and what she hopes to accomplish.

Do you think you bring a different perspective to the board as a younger regent?
Without a doubt. Even after being off the Hill for nearly three years, I feel my perspective of the world differs in a pretty meaningful way from many students who are still on campus. I think these differences come with the growth and searching we all experience with each new move, new job, new adventure. In that light, it seems only logical that recent graduates are slightly more connected to their experiences as students.

The importance of a young regent on the board gets to the root of our mission and purpose as a college. The last paragraph of the mission statement focuses on the development of students and its central importance. As many degrees as people are removed from the life of the student, the harder it becomes to assess how well our policies and practices are successful reflections of our mission. This is also why having a student present during board meetings is so essential. Each board member cares deeply about the richness of the experiences Oles have on the Hill; students must play a role in sharing these experiences.

What are you doing with your life right now?
I currently work full time on staff with Teach For America as a recruitment director. I'm based in the Twin Cities and recruit at 10 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools in the area. To be honest, I find that my job pretty much consumes most of my time. When I do find spare time, I enjoy reading; the best of my recent reads was A Thousand Splendid Suns.

What does joining the board mean to you and for the college?
In large part, I feel being a board member is a unique opportunity to work directly to strengthen the college I love. On one level, it's a service to the college and students to work for their needs. I'm not sure I can express exactly what my particular presence means to the College. In some respects, my journey to St. Olaf, experiences on campus and work thereafter reflect a few key facets of the college.

As you know, our campus is growing in diversity, both geographically and racially. As a bi-racial Oklahoman, I reflect both of these growing areas of diversity. My academic experience on campus was one that combined a liberal arts major with a great deal of mathematical study; such an intersection can be seen as representative of our growth as an institution with outstanding science programs, but a liberal arts college no less. My extracurricular activities demonstrate the ability Oles have to balance active involvement and academic commitments. Finally, developing in an atmosphere that challenges us to lead lives of worth and service, my two-year commitment teaching in Mississippi through Teach For America demonstrates how I put that value into action.

Why is being a regent important to you? How has St. Olaf impacted your life?
Every day I was on campus, I thought to myself how lucky I was to be there. This is not an exaggeration. In sunshine or snow, in the ice of winter or the vibrancy of autumn leaves, I loved being at St. Olaf.

St. Olaf challenged me to be engaged in current events, to be knowledgeable of the world beyond my purview. It challenged me to think carefully about my vocation and how I can play a role in improving people's lives. For the experiences I had, for the ways I've grown and for the diverse experiences of other Oles, I look forward to playing a role in ensuring that St. Olaf students continue to have enriching and rewarding experiences on the Hill.

Contact Kari VanDerVeen at 507-786-3970 or vanderve@stolaf.edu.