Musical theatre major Nicky Hawthorne (Nicole Schuenke) has been busy lately. Check her out on IMDb for all the details:

• She co-wrote, is a producer on and has a supporting role in “The Tank,” a film that will open in theaters this fall. Her scenes include actors Jack Davenport and Brad Henke.
• This fall, she’ll start shooting for “Hotel 33,” in which she plays a supporting role. The movie hits theaters next spring.
• She has a role in “Moms’ Night Out,” which arrives in theaters on Friday, May 9.
• Her recent national commercial roles include a currently running Applebee’s spot, a December 2013 Petco commercial, and voice-over campaigns for Target, Best Buy and Rosetta Stone.

Thanks to those who donated during IWU’s “All in for Wesleyan” challenge on April 2. Donors included 64 members of the Class of 2007.

The results are in — thanks to commitments ranging from $1 to $250,000, 2,406 Titan alumni and friends collectively raised $838,000 in 24 hours.

Erik K. Schuessler is part of the formation of the firm Kelly & Walker, LLC in Denver. He earned a J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School.

Congratulations, Erik!

Michael Stephens, who took part in the first year of IWU’s accounting internship program, recently spoke about his experiences. Since the program started in 2006, more than 175 students have participated.

“That internship opportunity was hugely important because I could apply the theories we had learned in the classroom to the business world,” said Stephens, who is now Manager, Assurance Services, for CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA) in Oak Brook, Ill. “As a junior in college, I was actually going into chief financial officers’ and controllers’ offices and asking them questions.”

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Charlene was named as one of eleven young African American activists under age 50 who are carrying the torch for change.

THANK YOU for continuing to make Illinois Wesleyan one of your giving priorities.  It is YOUR support that makes IWU a truly transformative place for young people.  

Brian Trainor  is currently a PhD candidate with Loyola University-Chicago in their Research Methodology and Statistics program. His research focuses on methods of teacher evaluation in public education, and he has collaborated with professionals at a number of universities, including Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech. Brian was also selected to serve as the Dean of the Graduate College of Education’s sole research assistant.