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The Career Resource Center (CRC) hopes to improve on its past success with the addition of Assistant Director Wesley Thorn II and Career Information and Technology Coordinator Nathan Scoggins ’99.

After an extensive search that encompassed six months and 300 resumes, Thorn was hired over the summer to bring his liberal arts background and counseling expertise to the Wesleyan community.

"I think I bring a fresh and new perspective, especially geographically," Thorn said. "[Being] the product of a liberal arts education, I feel that I am uniquely qualified to help and understand Wesleyan students."

Following graduation from Otterbein College in Ohio in 1996, Thorn participated in a one year Americore program that sent him all over the United States doing community service projects. 

During this period, Thorn spent much time speaking with young adults who were unsure of their career path. 

Feeling more focused after his year with Americore, Thorn enrolled in Kent State University and received his masters degree in education with a focus on higher education and student affairs.

Thorn views the University as a school that has a tradition of people making a name for themselves and, at the same time, trying to do something meaningful and significant. 

"Wesleyan teaches critical learning and living skills. It’s not just a college that teaches you how to get a job and make money," he said.

CRC Director Michael Sciola said that it was a combination of Thorn’s experience in Americore and at the University of Illinois Career Center, with the addition of his energetic nature, that made him an ideal addition to the University.

"[Students] really enjoy his energy and his commitment to help them find their passion," Sciola said.

"I think he’s definitely getting his stuff done," said Craig Schortzmann ’03, a career peer advisor for the past two years.

Thorn, who is also the pre-law advisor for the CRC, says that a common concern among students is that the CRC is traditional and less useful in helping those with specialized or alternative career goals. He is quick to mollify those fears.

"If we don’t have the answers we will do the research to get it. We will invest the time," he said. 

Thorn has high hopes for the CRC.

"We want the CRC to be a comprehensive resource center for students who want to identify their interests and also for those who simply want a job," Thorn said. 

To improve the CRC, Thorn is focusing on two areas: on-campus recruiting and alumni support. He feels that the best resource for any student interested in a particular field is to speak with someone who has been working in that area. This is where the close relationship that the CRC has fostered with alumni comes into play. 

Thorn said the vast majority of Wesleyan graduates are enthusiastic about helping undergraduates and that most students gain valuable insight into their job interests. 

On-campus recruiting is another area that is Thorn’s specialty. He is responsible for all job fairs and for increasing the number of representatives from graduate schools and professions that come to the University.

Senior class president Jim Sullivan ’01 sought out Thorn for advice on the steps he would need to take as a pre-law student. "[Thorn] is definitely taking a very ambitious approach to his position. He’s readily available and he responds to phone calls immediately," Sullivan said.

Another recent addition to the CRC, and the first-ever career information and technology coordinator, is Scoggins, who spent the past year working for an internet company. Sciola contacted him when the need for a technological and organizational expert became apparent.

"When an opportunity to create this new position came about, Nathan immediately came to mind," Sciola said.

Sciola says that it was Scoggins’ experience as a peer career advisor during his time at Wesleyan and his experience with the internet that make him a perfect fit for the new position.

One of Scoggins’ main tasks this year will be to make the CRC web-site more user-friendly. During his time as a peer career advisor, he heard students complain that the CRC web-site was easy to get lost in. Scoggins is determined to change that.

"It’s definitely a great opportunity to be here at the CRC. It’s going to be a good challenge to keep the library and the web site organized," Scoggins said.

Sciola echoes Scoggins’ emphasis on the importance of access to over 2,000 documents in the CRC library.

"The CRC is about providing access," Sciola said. "And Nathan’s position is key to providing that access for students when they come to the CRC for the first time."

"The key to the CRC is in giving students the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Our goal is to help them fulfill that," Scoggins said. 

With the additions of Thorn and Scoggins, Sciola is extremely optimistic about the possibilities for making the University’s CRC one of the top ones in the nation. 

"We’re incredibly excited to have both Wesley and Nathan here," he said. "We only hire the best."