TPC Alumni Spotlight | Issue 1
November 2012

Greetings TPC Alumni!  

We are excited to send our first e-alumni newsletter and to share the work going on at TPC and within our alumni community. We're happy to report that TPC is still a global leader in experiential education offering phenomenal opportunities for students to discover their personal and professional direction in life through our internships, city seminars, electives, and by living independently in our vibrant city. 

 

Since its formation in October 2010, the TPC Friends Board has been busy revitalizing the alumni association by creating networking opportunities among alumni, supporting the recruitment efforts of new students to TPC, and by engaging alumni and current students through shared programming.

 

In the 45 years of the program's existence, over 6700 alumni from over 90 colleges and 50 countries have been impacted by the work of the amazing faculty and staff at TPC.  It is not uncommon to hear from program alumni that a semester in Philadelphia shaped who they are today, or that their internship helped them land their first (or second, or third) job.  To a program that has given us all so much, we can think of no better way to ensure The Philadelphia Center's longevity than by creating a strong, supportive alumni community. 

 

We look forward to keeping in touch with all of you and connecting at an upcoming event!

 

Theresa (Miller) Doggett, Alma College, Spring 2003

President, TPC Friends

AND

Rosina S. Miller, Executive Director

Alumni Networking
Left to Right: Jim Vander Laan (Hope, Spring 1982), Mike Williams (Hope, Fall 1990), Dave Conley (Hope, Fall 1988), and Mary Jo Misner Vander Laan (Albion, Spring 1982) at a recent alumni event in Grand Rapids, MI.

  

  

 

Larsons
Jim Larson (Albion, Fall 1995) and Deb Lumm Larson (Hope, Fall 1995), who met one another in Philly in the Fall 1995, at the networking event in Grand Rapids.

 

In Memoriam: Gerry Luneburg
Gerald "Gerry" A. Luneburg, 1942-2012, Faculty Emeritus
Gerald A. Luneburg Scholarship 

Gerald A. Luneburg, 70, who served as a faculty advisor at The Philadelphia Center from 1988 until his retirement in 2005, passed away Friday, July 27, 2012, at his residence in New Bern, North Carolina. Gerry taught a City Seminar, Organizational Cultures, and two popular Electives, Entrepreneurship and Investment Management.

 

He received his undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, and earned his MBA in finance from Loyola University of Chicago. Before joining TPC, Gerry, who was a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and who served in Vietnam, held executive-level positions with the Atlantic Richfield Company and was a principal in a management consulting firm specializing in personnel and organizational strategies.

 

TPC alumnus Jim Pittaro (Spring 1991) wrote, "I was fortunate to have an awesome faculty member named Gerry Luneburg guide me through the most beneficial educational experience of my life. [Gerry] was a huge influence on me."

 

Gerry's support and encouragement of a generation of undergraduate students helped them develop personally and professionally as they sought fulfilling careers, which he often followed with delight.  He considered it the highest compliment when students credited TPC's program with their successes.

 

Per the wishes of Gerry and his family, TPC has established the Gerald A. Luneburg Scholarship to help students attend The Philadelphia Center's Summer Program. Those interested in making a contribution may do so through our  website or may send donations to: The Philadelphia Center, ATTN: Gerald A. Luneburg Scholarship Fund, 121 S. Broad Street, 7th Floor, Philadelphia, PA  19107. All contributions are tax-deductible. 

Yes, And...
By Rachel Lehr, Fall 2012
Albion College | Written October 2012
 
Rachel is interning at the International House Philadelphia and Prevention Point. To read more about current student experiences, visit our student blog at DiscoverTPC

 

Don't Stop Believing

 

Yes, this is the point where after being on her own for less than two months, the 21-year-old emerges from the trials of city living with some hard won and potentially very na�ve, but somehow sage, advice... 

 

In my high school drama class we were taught that the primary rule of improvisational acting is "Yes, and..." You don't like the setting your partner established? You can't find anything funny to say about organic eggplant farming? Tough cookies because you can't fight it or ignore it, you can only work with it. The longer I live and work in Philly, the more obvious it becomes that, "Yes, and..." is not only the foundation for a good improv, but the foundation for getting the most out of life.

 

Admittedly, the "Yes, and..." attitude does not always come easily to me. Every now and then in a frail and often fruitless attempt to gain control, I want to shout out "Noooooo" in the face of new or potentially awkward experiences and curl up in bed with my Netflix account.... [But] "Yes, and..." teaches you more about yourself than your "no"-centered comfort zone ever could. It's also a lot more fun. 

 

One Thursday evening my roommate and I had just finished our customary 50 cent pierogies (seriously, if you are in Philly and haven't checked out Tattooed Mom's specials, you are missing out) when we were reminded that the last Night Market of the year was happening in Chinatown. Now, for those of you who have never eaten 10 pierogies, it can prove to be a sleep-inducing feat. After calculating the distance between South Street and Chinatown, we decided it was too early in the semester to turn into grumpy and predictable old folks, so yes, we were going.

 

Now this is the point in the story where, if you know anything about me and my inability to keep time and my failed attempts at musical theatre, some surprising events occur. With a little bit of peer pressure I was convinced to partake in a TPC karaoke rendition of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing." Really. Then, when our ragtag crew passed a deli blaring the "Cupid Shuffle," I willing partook in the corresponding line dance, during which our group of less than 10 TPC students grew exponentially as passersbys joined in.

 

I cannot stress how uncharacteristic this behavior is, how incredibly sober I was, or how much fun I had. Yes, I freely admit that I, Rachel the rhythm-less, enjoyed line dancing flash mob style in the middle of street while complete strangers stood and stared. "Yes, and..." can be the difference between being the person telling the story and being one of the people that the story is about. Similarly, adopting this attitude has also given me better skills to cope with a hectic work atmosphere, a night of salsa dancing and a multitude of delicious foods that I had never thought of.

 

Opportunities to do new things and experiment are always around, especially in Philadelphia, and you can't let a lack of confidence or fear of being immensely awkward rob you of them. Yes you're going to do it and you're going to be fantastic/hilarious/creative. "Yes, and..." is instant confidence.  
In This Issue:
Greetings
 
Alumni Networking Events
 
In Memoriam: Gerry Luneberg
 
Student Perspectives:
DiscoverTPC: Yes, And! 
 

Stevens E. Brooks Memorial Fund

Thanks to generous donations from folks like you, the Stevens E. Brooks Memorial Fund has already helped a number of students close the gap between their resources and the costs of city living during their semester at TPC. 

Will you help us reach our $50,000 goal? We're already halfway there! Please consider a tax-deductible contribution.  All donations will directly support students attending TPC.

 

Donations can be made online or via check payable to The Philadelphia Center.


Upcoming Events:

Alumni Panel at TPC: Thursday, November 29 (Please contact us if you'd like to share your stories with current students.)

 

Networking Event: Philadelphia, May 30, 2013

  

Networking Events: NYC and Chicago -- Dates 2013 TBD

  

Reunion: Philadelphia, Spring 2014

 

Reunion: TPC's 50th Anniversary, 2017

 

Stay in Touch:

Please join us on LinkedIn!

 

Email: [email protected]

215.735.7300

 

121 S. Broad Street

7th Floor

Philadelphia, PA  19107

 

If you have story ideas for future issues of TPC's Alumni Spotlight or if you'd like to update your alumni profile, please let us know.

 

Pitch In!

Our Spring 2013 students arrive in late January, If you live nearby and would be interested in helping out during orientation, please let us know!

 
New Placements 
We are always working to expand our internship placement opportunities, and if you work in the Greater Philadelphia region, we hope that you'll share our information with your friends and colleagues. For more information visit our website or contact our placement director.
 
Alumni Stories
Visit our website to read up on your fellow alumni and see what they have been doing. If you'd like to add your story to the mix, contact our marketing director.

 

 

About the Board:

TPC Friends Committees:

Recruitment

Engagement

Networking

 

TPC Friends Board:

Theresa (Miller) Doggett (Alma, Spring 2003)

 

Viviana Gordon (Whitman, Fall 2005 and Spring 2006)

 

Peter Kellepourey (Hope, Fall 2000)

 

Josh Merchant (Albion, Fall 1995)

 

Thomas Poole (Whitman, Spring 2007)

 

Michele Porterfield (Denison, Fall 1987)

 

Yashika Krutik Shah (Ohio Wesleyan, Spring 2010) 

 

Scott Travis (Hope, Spring 2005)

 

Alysia (Hunt) Williams (Earlham, Spring 1999)

 

If you're interested in learning more about TPC Friends or getting involved, please contact us.

 

TPC Faculty & Staff

Rosina S. Miller, Executive Director

 

Ilene Baker, Director of Information and Student Affairs

 

Ruth Bottoms, Office Manager and Director of Alumni Relations

 

Mark Andrew Clark, Faculty Advisor

 

Michael Edmondson, Director of Marketing and Adjunct Faculty

 

Deborah Leibel, Faculty Advisor

 

Emily Nemeth, Marketing and Recruiting Assistant

 

Char Vandermeer, Placement Director 

 

Diana Waters, Faculty Advisor