ANN ARBOR – The public is invited to participate in Washtenaw Community College’s (WCC) first Liberal Arts Week Oct. 25-29. The events offer interactive, virtual and in-person workshops that showcase how jobs and the world around us are impacted by liberal arts studies.
All 13 events are free and open to community members. Explore WCC’s Liberal Arts Week webpage for details and registration information.
Liberal Arts Week is organized as a part of October’s National Arts and Humanities Month, and events throughout the week will be led by WCC faculty and community leaders from industry and non-profit organizations.
The week will highlight the wide variety of careers open through a liberal arts education. Participants will learn how the interdisciplinary path teaches skills, including soft skills, that can benefit all aspects of life.
Three keynote speakers will lead sessions on the unlimited career potential for liberal arts students; resilience and social justice work; and media lighting and promotions. Keynotes are:
- Christopher Shepherd, a former WCC student who transferred to the University of Michigan and is now a consultant for Boston Consulting Group, a leading global business strategy consulting firm. Shepherd will speak at the 11 a.m.-noon Monday, Oct. 25 Linking the Liberal Arts to Workplace Success session.
- Yodit Mesfin-Johnson, president and CEO of Nonprofit Enterprise at Work and founder of Black Men Read, a non-profit program for youth that tells the stories of the African diaspora. Mesfin-Johnson will speak at the 11 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Oct. 27 Resilience and Social Justice Work session.
- Madison Rally, promotions director for Cumulus Media Ann Arbor and co-host of 102.9 W4 Country’s Breakfast with Bubba show. Her career experience includes stops at other radio stations and behind-the-scenes television work. Rally will speak on lighting in a video presentation that will be emailed to registrants on Wednesday, Oct. 27.
Another highlight of the week is Careers in Communication, Media, and Theatre Arts Panel & Networking Workshop featuring Nicole A. Brown, Mayor Pro-Tem, City of Ypsilanti; David Wolber, Artistic Director of Theatre NOVA in Detroit; Nick Kessler, WCC grad and morning show radio host in upstate New York; and Patty Griffin, Director of Conduct, Conflict Resolution and COVID Response at the University of Michigan.
Participants in the Careers session, 11 a.m.-noon Friday, Oct. 29, will break into small group discussions with the featured panelists.
Liberal Arts Week also includes sessions on resume writing, job search strategies, improv, jazz, philosophy and critical thinking, indigenous cultural traditions, songwriting and collage art.
Liberal Arts Week
What: Week of free community workshops and discussions to showcase the power and importance of a liberal arts education.
Where: Interactive virtual with one in-person workshop
When: Oct. 25-29
Online: https://www.wccnet.edu/announcements/liberal-arts-week.php
Contact: kasuwilliams@wccnet.edu
About Washtenaw Community College
Washtenaw Community College (WCC), Ann Arbor, Mich., educates students through a wide range of associate and certificate programs in areas such as health care, business, STEM and advanced transportation and mobility. WCC offers accelerated and online programs and is ranked the number one community college in Michigan, according to schools.com. WCC is committed to student success, with nearly 70% of students intending to transfer to complete a bachelor degree. The college also works through community, business and union partnerships to develop highly specialized training programs to meet the region’s workforce talent needs.
