alumni stories
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Jilian Kolby

"I chose VU because of its small class sizes, closeness to home (I am a Vincennes native), and the one-on-one interaction with my professors. I chose public relations as my major because I took a speech class at VU my senior year of high school, and after some research into careers involving communications, I decided public relations was the best fit for me. I graduated in December 2019 and transferred to the bachelor’s program in public relations and advertising at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville."
Class of 2019
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Paul 'Bernie' Schmitt

"I came to Vincennes University thanks to a couple of VU alums who worked at my town’s local newspaper. Deciding that VU might be a less expensive route to begin, a friend and I made the decision to attend VU. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only did VU give me the foundational coursework I needed, but under the guidance of Professor Fred Walker, I got hands-on experience in writing, reporting, taking pictures, and technical knowledge needed to produce a newspaper. I think he also helped us to grow up, too."
Class of 1979
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hannah swan

Singer songwriter Hannah Swan tells stories through music. “Being able to take real-life experiences and pair them with melodies and turn it into a song… it’s like a puzzle, and I love doing it.” She attributes finding her passion for writing music and a voice through lyrics through her experience at Vincennes University where she developed her musical style "to connect with people through truth." She also finds that her job, as well as her music, help her to "pour into Vincennes, and give back to this community." VU played a great part in "the transition from high school to college to the workforce." "I built some great friendships at VU," she says, reflecting on her time in music classes, the Miss VU pageant, and her involvement in the Student Government Association, or SGA. "Through SGA, I was able to see the inner workings of student life on campus." Hannah says Vincennes University is “affordable, it’s a great education, and you can start out here no matter what you’re majoring in.”
Class of 2014