Widener Tallies Win in Forbes #MyTopCollege Contest
Widener pride runs deep, and now the entire country knows it!
In the 6th annual Forbes #MyTopCollege social media contest, Widener won the medium school division (2,000 to 15,000 students), besting colleges and universities from around the nation.
And the university finished the 8-week long contest in second place overall, topping its fifth-place finish in 2018.
Forbes calls the #MyTopCollege contest the “ultimate school pride ranking.” Students, alumni, faculty, and staff are asked to share on Twitter and Instagram what makes their school so special, from the friendships forged to the impactful experiences that have set them on a path for a lifetime of success.
Forbes tallies winners based on quantity and quality of posts.
This year’s overall theme was time travel – a trip though the past, present, and future of a school. Each week carried a specific sub-theme.
So how did Widener win its division? With incredible posts like this one from Samantha Scoma ’20 about the strong mentorship from faculty…
And this one from alumnus Aidan Hostetter ’19 about how his Widener experiences have set him on his path...
What makes Widener stand above the rest?
— Aidan Hostetter (@AidanHostetter) July 9, 2019
4 years difference to the day i go from Pride statue as a student to working for a candidate for President of the United States
Insert countless other experiences in between and that’s what makes @WidenerUniv #MyTopCollege pic.twitter.com/j7UNRkASsQ
President Julie E. Wollman helped lead the charge in this year's contest. For "freshman year memories" week, she shared this post...
What’s more fun than being the first person to greet our new freshmen & their families as they drive up on move-in day? @WidenerUniv is #MyTopCollege because I get to chat with these happy and excited folks while they wait to unload and start the experience of a lifetime! pic.twitter.com/dRCqvJot89
— President Wollman (@WidenerPres) June 28, 2019
During the "traditions" theme week, Michaela Mertz ’21 touched on one of our favorites…
Favorite Widener tradition: petting Chester’s nose for good luck! Love sharing this with potential students when giving tours, they get a kick out of it! #MyTopCollege @WidenerUniv @choosewidener pic.twitter.com/pFfI9rBSjJ
— Mickey 🇺🇸 (@MichaelaMertz1) July 1, 2019
When the "sports" theme week rolled around, baseball coach Mike LaRosa pitched in this one..
@WidenerUniv is #MyTopCollege because @WidenerBaseball has set a new standard for Excellence with 7 straight 20+ win seasons, 6 straight appearances in Conference Semi-Final or Final Game, and 8 years running with above a 3.0 Team GPA!!! #tradition pic.twitter.com/vkijsORi4O
— Mike LaRosa (@CoachLaRosa) July 17, 2019
When the community was asked to post about those special Widener friendships, mentorships, and relationships, they did not disappoint.
Advisors become trusted #connections at #MyTopCollege @WidenerUniv, from Day 1 to Commencement Day. pic.twitter.com/FshWfGw1lB
— Janet Long, EdD (@IntegritySearch) July 20, 2019
And this post from alumnus Danny Secord just melted hearts…
Back in 2013 at @WidenerUniv I met this beautiful smart nursing student who I quickly began dating and then married in 2017. Our wedding had 20 alum from Widener at least! We are expecting our first baby in November! All of this love because of Widener! #MyTopCollege pic.twitter.com/WuvJDVGntn
— Danny Secord ⚾ (@coachsecord27) July 22, 2019
When it came time to turning toward the future of Widener, some great predictions poured in, including this one from Angie Corbo, associate professor of communication studies...
#WUCOMS is proud to offer a state-of-the art education while providing real world experiences. In the next 5 years, we'll have an even more amazing alumni changing lives in the field. #MyTopCollege @WidenerUniv pic.twitter.com/0nFxdEMkMq
— Angie Corbo (@amcorbo) July 26, 2019
In its final week, the contest delved into the #10YearChallenge, asking people to share how they’ve grown and changed due to their Widener experience. Professor Brent Satterly offered this retrospective of his time on campus...
@WidenerUniv, I grew as an out gay faculty member where I learned to advocate for social justice for students over the course of the last 20 years! #MyTopCollege #Forbes #PurpleBoots @WidenerSW pic.twitter.com/vxjW7CrRR0
— Brent Satterly (@basatterly) August 3, 2019
And our alumni topped it all off with heartfelt looks at the lifelong friendships forged here…
#MyTopCollege #10YearChallenge Met these ladies at @WidenerUniv! Lifelong friends since 💕 The best four years ever! pic.twitter.com/TobFZA0wuO
— Meach Esq. (@DemetricaTodd) August 6, 2019
