The goal of many college graduates is very simple: find a job that will allow them to pay off the student loans that they needed to get them through college in the first place, and have enough left over to either buy a new car or perhaps a closet full of shoes. Personally, I would go for the car, but I know a certain Raider captain who might go for the shoes. (I won't mention any names, just the number 22.)
In this season's first edition of our alumni feature, I examine a man whose experience epiotmizes the term "liberal arts," and through the application of his Colgate education has managed to secure a very respectable Mazda RX8 and what I am sure is a very nice collection of sneakers as well.
Ed Werner graduated from Colgate in 1971 and went on to attend the University of Western Ontario Law School. He received his juris doctorate in 1975, and was called to the bar in 1977.
Before he attended law school, however, Werner worked for the department of family social services in his hometown of Niagara, Ontario. This job in public service was the first in a long line of community involvement that has been a constant presence in Werner's life.
Since that first job, Werner has served as a trustee on the Lincoln County Board of Education, has taught business courses at Niagara College and Brock University, has served as the director of the board of the Niagara Business Education Council and as the president of the Niagara Industrial Relations Institute, and he was recently named a board member of the Niagara Parks Commission.
Werner is also a member of the Colgate Board of Trustees. This lasting link to his alma mater highlights the value that he still places on his education and, more importantly, the time that he spent on the Hill.
During my own time at Colgate, the idea of a liberal arts education has sometimes left me feeling uncertain. Will we graduate with the best possible tools to securing a productive future? But in the case of Ed Werner, it was the liberal arts education he received at Colgate that he feels made his success possible. Through the development of a little game called "Trivial Pursuit," Werner has allowed himself the freedom to chase his dreams.
If asked, Werner could not pinpoint the class that he took in Alumni Hall that taught him how to market a board game and make a profit, and that is what he feels is the strength of a liberal arts education. Werner understands and emphasizes the difference between training and education, and he believes that it was the Colgate education that allowed four acquaintances with no background in the industry to become the board-game moguls of the late 20th century.
Werner's advice is simple, yet is something that many students are afraid to do: relax, and let the perfect job find you. As we struggle through late nights at the library, we often wonder if a job that can inspire us is really out there waiting. Werner says - all you need to do is take a chance and chase your imagination. If you love something, go for it, and it will be hard not to be successful.
As if his connection to Colgate was not already strong, Werner gave the university the ultimate vote of confidence by sending two of his three children to Colgate to further their education. His oldest daughter graduated in 1996, and a photo of his son Mike - who wears number 17 in the program but is certainly number one in his dad's heart - can be seen on page three of your program, right next to me. The younger Werner is following in his father's footsteps in more ways than one: Ed was a member of the Colgate hockey team during his time at the university.
During my discussion with Mr. Werner, which was witnessed by Mike, I asked him if he had any advice for the current members of the hockey team. This question prompted a smile and a "here we go" from Mike, letting me know that he has heard this lecture before. Mr. Werner's advice: "This place has so much to offer to your education in and out of the classroom. Be a sponge - soak it up."
Werner says that it is especially important for current Colgate hockey players to make a conscious effort to explore the possibilities that are available around campus. With the time commitments that come from playing a Division I sport, practice, class, and, of course, taking girls to movies, the energy to explore Colgate and all that it has to offer is often misplaced. However, Werner stresses the importance of working hard to stay involved in campus life and absorbing as much of the Colgate experience as we can during our short time here.
"It will be the last time that you are exposed to such a diversity in knowledge and culture," Werner says, "and it would be a shame to waste such an opportunity."
