E-News - March 1, 2019

Coe leaps eight spots on The Princeton Review’s 2019 Top 25 Best Schools for Internships list

For the second year in a row, Coe College has been named a Best Value College by The Princeton Review and is included in its Top 25 Best Schools for Internships list. This year, Coe isn’t just in the top 25 — it’s in the top 15 and remains the only Iowa school on the list. Coe advanced from its previous rank of 23 in 2018 to a current rank of 15.

The Princeton Review credits Coe’s location in a thriving metropolitan area, the Center for Creativity & Careers and its career and graduate school placement as catalysts for inclusion in this prestigious ranking.

Coe students benefit from the lowest unemployment rate for college graduates in the nation. Cedar Rapids offers numerous internship opportunities with local Fortune 500 companies and has been named a “Best City for New Grads.”

The Center for Creativity & Careers connects students to Coe’s business partners and successful alumni located in the Cedar Rapids corridor and beyond. Google, Corning Incorporated, Mayo Clinic and the Chicago Board of Trade are just a few of the businesses routinely reserving internships for Coe students.

Coe students find success after graduation — year after year, nearly 100 percent of reporting graduates are employed or in graduate school within one year.

“I am pleased that Coe continues to receive recognition as a national leader in postsecondary education through inclusion in The Princeton Review’s ‘Best Value Colleges’ and Top 25 Schools for Internships,” Coe College President David McInally said. “We are especially pleased that our internship program has been highlighted as one of the nation's best, and we're grateful to our community and business partners, who have helped make Coe's Center for Creativity & Careers one of the most innovative career programs found anywhere."

Author Max Allan Collins

Road to Perdition author coming to Coe on March 19

This month, Coe will host author Max Allan Collins on campus for a public reading of his work. The Muscatine, Iowa, native is the author of numerous mystery novels, comic books, graphic novels and screenplays. Collins is best known for his graphic novel series Road to Perdition, which was the basis for the 2002 film of the same name. The event will be held Tuesday, March 19, at 7:00 PM in Sinclair Auditorium and is free and open to the public.

Collins’ visit to Coe is made possible through the Ed Gorman Celebration of Popular Fiction Fund. The purpose of the fund is to bring mainstream and genre fiction writers to campus to hold workshops with creative writing students and share their works with the Coe community. Ed Gorman ’68 was a prolific author with many novels and short stories to his credit. His writing spanned several genres, but he achieved much of his success as a crime and suspense writer. Ed passed away in 2016, and his wife, Carol, established the fund as a way to honor his memory. Ed valued the creative writing education he received at Coe, and Carol taught in the English Department for 10 years, making the college a fitting place to continue Ed’s legacy.

Coe continues to be recognized as a top producer of U.S. Fulbright students

Once again, Coe College is included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2018-19 Fulbright students. Coe has been recognized on this prestigious list for five of the past seven years — positioning the college among the top 12 Fulbright-producing bachelor’s institutions in the nation.

As the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, the Fulbright is the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world.

Among the three schools in Iowa to receive this designation, Coe maintains the highest percentage of applicants receiving the award — giving Kohawks who apply the highest likelihood of earning a Fulbright. Even better, Coe is one of only six schools nationwide listed as both a 2018-19 Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Students and a Top 25 Best School for Internships, according to The Princeton Review — two rankings that set Coe College apart from other institutions.

“At a four-year university, I wouldn’t have had the one-on-one interaction with some of the professors that kept me on track to get the Fulbright. I couldn’t have done it without Coe,” 2018 Fulbright recipient Claire Tupper said.

“The Coe community is pleased to receive continuous national recognition for the college’s large number of Fulbright recipients,” Coe College President David McInally said. “The hard work and dedication of our bright scholars will result in life-changing experiences for the award winners and those they encounter during their Fulbright teaching apprenticeships. We are exceedingly proud of these recent Coe alumni and congratulate them for their achievements and contributions to humankind.”

Four Coe seniors were awarded international Fulbright teaching assignments for the 2018-2019 academic year:

Claire Tupper ’18 of Cedar Rapids, Iowa — a biology, neuroscience and French alumna is teaching in Laos.
Christine Obiesie ’18 of Lee's Summit, Missouri — a biology, molecular biology and neuroscience alumna is teaching in Poland.
Lauren Winchester ’18 of Boulder, Colorado — a communication studies and German alumna is teaching in Germany.
Annie Atkins ’18 of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota — an international relations and German alumna is teaching in Germany.

“Throughout the Fulbright process, I had a lot of help from professors, staff and faculty,” Atkins said.

Coe Fulbright applicants and recipients receive guidance from Professor Amber Shaw, who serves as the college's national fellowship advisor, as well as other faculty members. “It's been such a pleasure to work with these talented, service-oriented students as they apply for these prestigious fellowships,” Dr. Shaw said. “As cultural ambassadors for the Fulbright Program, Coe’s awardees are exemplifying the college’s mission by leading productive and satisfying lives across the globe."

“I believe Coe made me more adaptable. All of the opportunities I’ve had have led me to this moment in my life,” Obiesie said.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 390,000 participants the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 1,900 U.S. students, artists and young professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English and conduct research abroad each year. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program operates in over 140 countries throughout the world.

Coe alumni playing basketball

Basketball alumni return to campus for a day of hoops

On February 9, former Coe basketball players got the chance to relive their glory days in the annual alumni basketball games. Fourteen women and 20 men were split into crimson and white teams for their respective games, and it was an exciting competition all around. After cheering on the varsity Kohawk basketball teams at their games against Loras in the afternoon, the alumni crew met up at Dublin City Pub for some post-game camaraderie.

While the annual games are undoubtedly a great time for the alumni, the coaching staff and current players get to take part in the fun, too. “The alumni game is one of my favorite events because it brings so many former basketball players and their families back to campus and gives them time to reminisce on their time as a Kohawk,” said Women’s Basketball Head Coach Kayla Waskow ’13. “It also provides a great opportunity for our current players to meet and watch those who have played before them.”

Kohawks of a feather, sock together. Become a Social Ambassador for #KohawkDay and win a pair of limited edition Coe socks.

#KohawkDay is April 11, and we need YOU to help us spread the word! Social Ambassadors inspire fellow alumni and friends to participate in #KohawkDay by liking, sharing and posting across various social media platforms. Our Social Ambassadors not only encourage others to support Coe with a gift, but are social influencers who help generate buzz and drive participation on the day. And this year, with a new and improved website experience to track results, #KohawkDay promises to be more exciting than ever!

Sign up here to become a Social Ambassador on April 11. As an added bonus, you’ll also be entered in a drawing to win a pair of coveted Coe socks!

A Week in Photos

There’s never a dull moment on the Coe College campus — the week of Feb. 11-17 proves that. From theatrical productions to swimming championships to multicultural game night, Kohawks are busy making the most of their Coe experience. Click here to browse a visual sample of events and activities that happened in February.

Coe College International Club held its annual banquet Feb. 24

Cuisine from across the globe was prepared and served by Coe international students at the annual International Club banquet. Dishes from Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, South Korea and Vietnam were served to Coe students, faculty, staff and the surrounding Cedar Rapids community.

Click the video below to view more!

Upcoming Alumni Events

March 21 - Sip & Socialize Spring 2019 — Join us for what has become one of Coe's greatest networking events! Come have fun meeting and networking with alumni, students and faculty. Light appetizers will be provided and a cash bar will be available for attendees.

April 5-7 - Mickey Wu Retirement Celebration - Dr. Mickey Wu was hired at Coe on September 1, 1979 as an economics professor, but over the last 40 years has done much more for Coe. To celebrate his career and contributions, we invite you to join us for a weekend you won’t soon forget!