Congratulations to Kristen (Gattuso) Wenzel ’12 and Scott ’12 on the birth of their Tiny Titan, Sam Thomas Wenzel, on December 27, 2020. 
Kristen (Gattuso) Wenzel ’12 and Scott Wenzel ’12
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Bret Swango ’12
Bret Swango ’12 was awarded the Innovation Award in the Americas by his employer, Colliers, an international commercial real estate advisory firm. As the head of workforce analytics, Bret and his team are leveraging machine learning and the latest agile technology to transform data into insight and give tenants, investors, developers and landlords a competitive advantage in the location selection process.
TAG Day 2021
Monday, February 8 is Thank-A-Giver Day at Illinois Wesleyan and we’re eager to celebrate generous Titans!
Thank-A-Giver (TAG) Day is the symbolic point during the academic year — about 70% of the way through — when tuition dollars are exhausted and Illinois Wesleyan relies on donor generosity to continue providing a world-class education and rewarding collegiate experiences.
Each and every year, every gift matters. Contributions benefit students and faculty, enhance academic excellence, and strengthen the IWU community.
Thank you to all who give back to move IWU forward. 
Erika (Olsen) Ohlendorf ’12
In 2020, I successfully finished my MSN/MBA. I’m excited to say I’m currently working as a Clinical Nurse Educator! Nursing is so amazing because of all the opportunities you are given!
Caitlin (Grabarits) Mann ’12
Caitlin Mann ’12 gave a virtual Titan Career Chat on about Caitlin’s experience as a licensed and certified genetic counselor. Thank you, Caitlin!
Thank you to Sarah Zahorak
Thank you to Sarah Zahorak for your service to the Class of 2012 as Class Newsletter Editor. We appreciate your dedication to your classmates and work to keep your class connected. Sarah has stepped down from the position, and we wish her well.
Qingfan Jiang ‘12
Qingfan Jiang ‘12 of Columbia University has been awarded an Alvin H. Johnson AMS 50 Fellowship for “Toward a Global Enlightenment: Music, Missionaries, and the Construction of a Universal History in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century China and Europe.”
Congratulations, Qingfan!
Rachel Carreras ‘12
Rachel Carreras ‘12 performed on “Cabaret Games,” an online competition among suburban theater groups.
Dr. Caitlyn McHugh ’12
Thank you to Dr. Caitlyn McHugh ’12 from Focused Eye Care in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, who presented at one of the virtual Titan Career Chats earlier this year in April. Dr. McHugh shared information about her journey from IWU to her current position as both an optometrist and owner of the Focused Eye Care practice.
Titans Supporting Titans
Ways to Support Fellow Titans
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- To share a word of support for your classmates at this time, submit a post to your class newsletter by emailing your editor or if your class does not have an editor, send your post to classnews@iwu.edu.
- You can provide support to the Titan Student Emergency Fund. This fund will provide relief to students with needs such as housing, travel, moving and storage, transportation and vehicle repair, and technology needs related to remote learning.
- If you have expertise or a career opportunity that you can share with students, please connect with a Hart Career Center staff member for a phone or video appointment through a Handshake account here. You can also post job and internship opportunities on the site. View FAQs here.
- University Archives & Special Collections wants to hear your experiences and reflections to keep a historical record of the impact of the pandemic on the Illinois Wesleyan community, you can learn more here.
- Assist the IWU Admissions team in student recruitment efforts. Our alumni are the best and most qualified to meet with prospective students to share your IWU experience. Sign up here: Titan Alumni Ambassadors.
- You can see more ideas here.