Thanks to a $15 million gift from a longtime benefactor, Ms. Jan Tarble, Carthage College plans to create a distinctive career and welcome center that equips graduates for a rapidly changing workforce.
The donation allows Carthage to address four main priorities:
• a dedicated facility that incorporates technology for virtual networking and physical space for in-person interviews and career counseling
• enhanced programs designed to promote career readiness and harness the expertise of alumni/ae and parents
• additional staffing with the ability to attract leading career development professionals
• increased support for experiential learning, including internships and study away
Administrators emphasize that the center’s services will cover all stages of career development.
“From exploring potential majors as first year students to joining Carthage’s active alumni/ae network, our students can expect to head into the workforce or graduate school confident and ready for success,” said Ms. Evelyn Buchanan, vice president for institutional advancement.
This gift Ms. Tarble provided through her family’s foundation — the largest single donation the college has received — allows Carthage to expand its career readiness initiatives. Over the past four years, the college has added a director of employer relations and internships, created almost 200 new paid internships through a $349,000 grant, launched the Carthage in Chicago semester program, and started a mentoring initiative to pair students with alumni/ae in their fields.
The Tarble family has contributed more than $51 million to the college.
“As one of the four principal founders of Snap-on, my father had a great appreciation for the power of tools. With the right tools, people work more productively and efficiently,” Ms. Tarble said. “Both he and my mother would echo my support of a career center that equips Carthage students with the tools they will need in the decades ahead.”