My Manchester journey began when I was born in 2005, with my father being a recent graduate and my mother working in admissions. My first day out of the hospital saw me in the old admissions building. As I grew up in and around North Manchester, I was adamant that I needed to go out of state for college, having frequented the same streets, restaurants, and people for the past 18 years. However, after my听freshman听year at North Central College in Illinois, I decided that Manchester was a better fit for my personal and academic needs,听ultimately deciding听to enroll in a last-minute trip to London in January 2025.
I entered my sophomore year听at听Manchester with uncertainty in my area of studies, switching from my original marketing degree to environmental science and eventually biology.听The classes I took were interesting, but there was an academic itch that I wasn鈥檛 able to scratch.听An anxious aura surrounded me as I prepared to travel to London for my first January course:听The Development of Scientific Thought. In London I was exposed to superb education through primary sources and first-hand experiences under the direction of our supervisors Dr. Greg Clark and Dr. Steve Naragon. For the first time in years, I had fun learning about the world around me. It听wasn鈥檛听the science that interested听me,听it was the history of it: how Newton discovered the laws of motion, how the world slowly accepted the heliocentric solar model, and how different technologies advanced over hundreds of years. This excitement for learning empowered me to pursue a career in what I have always enjoyed most: literature.听
The following Spring semester I changed my major to English and enrolled in classes that sparked my curiosity. Through my World Literature course with Dr. Beate Gilliar, Prison Literature class with Dr.听Stacy听Erickson-Pestski, and an impromptu East Asian History course with Dr. Uma Ganesan, I discovered that not only do I love literature, but I love the conjunction of literature and history. I eventually added a history minor.听These courses sparked my curiosity with works like听Things Fall Apart听by Chinua Achebe, a novel about a native Igbo tribe in Africa being influenced by British colonialism. This novel encouraged me to take a Modern Imperialism course with Dr. Ganesan, in which I really enjoyed engaging with the brutal history of imperialism.听
My Fall semester led me to take British Literature II with Dr. Jonathan Watson, where we read听North and South听by Elizabeth Gaskell, a novel about the industrial revolution and the social impacts that came as a result. This novel required me to reexamine humanity鈥檚 relationship with nature, and how the industrial revolution helped shift that relationship from one of mutual harmony, to one of domination and exploitation. This relationship is something I consider听every听day, and听is something I continue to reference. The same semester I was introduced to Ralph Waldo Emerson鈥檚 essay 鈥淣ature鈥 in American Literature II with Dr. Katherine Ings, in which I further engaged in a discussion about humanity鈥檚 spiritual connection to the natural world.听
For the first time in my life, I was hungry for more knowledge and opportunities to learn about the world around me. As I continued to enroll in classes, I started to understand the mass amounts of knowledge that I lacked,听but听instead of being discouraged, I recognized it;听I听continue听to work towards closing that gap. Engaging in discussions about the human condition in听different historical contexts has made me a better person, allowing me a better understanding of history, strengthening my ability to look at today鈥檚 world with a historical critique, and reinforcing my empathy skills.听
Today, I continue seeking opportunities to expand my knowledge by reading broadly across time periods, cultures, and genres.听By learning about the history of our world, I hope to improve our world鈥檚 future by teaching literature.
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Chris Rohr is an intern for the Office of Marketing & Communications during Summer 2026.
Dr.听Brad Yoder,听professor emeritus of sociology and social work,听was听one of three Hoosiers听recognized as a听Pioneer in Social Work听by the National Association of Social Workers Foundation听(NASW)听at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.听in early June. Yoder was inducted into the 2025 and 2026 Pioneers program classes, created to honor social workers who have made significant contributions to advancing the profession. Yoder听spent more than five decades听establishing听the high standard to which social work can achieve when compassion is paired with courage, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to justice. Yoder鈥檚 career reflects a rare blend of visionary leadership, community engagement, and transformative teaching that has left a lasting impact on mental health care, criminal justice reform, social work education, and public policy in Indiana and beyond. Yoder taught sociology and social work at Manchester for听nearly 40听years, where he听guided the social work program through continuous CSWE accreditation since 1978, developed a criminal justice major, and taught听courses in听sociology and peace studies.听He helped to create the Wabash County Habitat for Humanity Affiliate and the 麻豆原创 Habitat Campus Chapter. He led 31 Habitat Spring Break Workcamps in nine states. 鈥淥ur Hoosier Social Work Pioneers reflect lifelong work and commitment to the social work profession,鈥澨齭tated听Beryl Cohen, Executive Director, NASW-IN. 鈥淏ecause of their […]
Four new members, including three听alumni, have joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 Board of Trustees.听 D. Randall Brown 鈥87 of听Fort Wayne, Ind.,听returns to Manchester鈥檚 Board of Trustees after 10 years off. He spent three years as听Board听Chair. Brown earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree听in political science and business听from Manchester in 1987, before completing his Juris Doctor at Indiana University听School of Law-Indianapolis.听He is now听litigation听department chair and Fort Wayne managing partner at Barnes & Thornburg.听 He听also听serves on the boards of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc., Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, and the Fort Wayne Museum of Art.听 Bradford听Aquino听鈥98 of Golden, Colo.,听earned his bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in accounting from Manchester听and a master鈥檚 in business administration from the University of Notre Dame. 听 His career began in public accounting, and he has since held leadership positions in the medical device community at Zimmer Biomet, CONMED Corporation and RTI Surgical. He currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Metron in the water industry. He served on the board for Ancilla College and assisted in leading its merger into Marian University in 2021.听 Meghan听Linvill 鈥06听McNab听of Nashville, Tenn.,听earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in accounting from Manchester in 2006, before completing her Juris Doctor at Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis. She听is听now听partner听at Krieg Devault where she听represents听health听care听providers听in […]
