Katie Harvey
Contributing Writer
Described as a TEDx event with a “Wooster twist” by emcee Marcus Bowers ’19, the Tartan Talks brought four recent Wooster alumni to the Gault Recital Hall stage on Feb. 10. The event was brought to life by Marina Rosales ’15, the event planner for the College’s center for entrepreneurship in A.P.E.X. Her goal was for students to realize that their futures are uncertain but nonetheless bright.
“Whatever path they [choose] will have purpose. It may not be what they first planned… but it will all come together,” said Rosales.
During her talk, Shyniece Ferguson ’14 spoke to that oh-so-familiar feeling of uncertainty faced by college students. She recounted her own time at Wooster, saying, “I felt that I did not have an actual tangible idea of how to get to where I wanted to be.” Nevertheless, her education and persistence allowed her to combine her loves of hip-hop, feminism and Africana studies, eventually leading her to a career as a publicist at the 300 Entertainment record label.
Amelia Kemp ’21 explained, “it’s really interesting to just come and hear what people have done with their degree.” The speakers served as reassurance to her that her education will play a vital part in her future. “I’m going to be okay,” said Kemp.
Speaker Taylor Delhagen ’06, reflecting on his own education, participation in Teach for America and research in India, concluded that in a world of complexity, education should allow students to form their own views by investigating the whole story.
“We, as educators and learners, have to be willing to listen to other peoples’ truth with the same ferocity that we tell our own,” he said.
Abena Boamah ’13, founder of skin care company Hanahana Beauty, expanded on this discussion of education in the context of her own trip to Ghana. She explained that “every interaction you have with someone is a possibility of a learning experience.” Today, she lives out this ideal by using her business as a medium to share the stories of the Ghanaian women with whom she has formed relationships.
By attending the talks, Sam Casey ’21 took the opportunity to grow in his confidence that Wooster is giving him the tools to succeed in the future.
“They could bring in a speaker from anywhere… but I think that hearing it from someone who graduated from here makes it more relatable,” said Casey. “I can see a successful path for myself.”
“What is your narrative? Think about that,” Avantika Daing ’95 concluded. Applause erupted from the audience in appreciation of the previous two hours spent indulging in the stories of four Wooster alumni. It was an awfully fitting way to end the first annual Tartan Talks: turning the narrative over to the audience full of Wooster students, faculty members and community members.
Daing attributed her success to the multitude of skills she acquired at Wooster. Although her career path has been a bit irregular, these skills and her incredibly hard work have helped her to write and rewrite her own narrative, eventually finding her true passion in consumer technology, opening career opportunities for those in minority groups. As the final speaker, she challenged the audience to write their own stories. “Your narrative is what’s going to differentiate you as you look beyond Wooster,” she said.
In the lobby, professors embraced their former students, and current students circulated trays of muffins and fruit, sipping and nibbling and discussing the stories that had just been told. The atmosphere was one of a community. A community celebrating the value of a Wooster education. A community indulging in the narratives of those who have passed through. A community inspiring the next generation to write their own.