杏吧Pro

Meaningful Connections

Mike Bogers applied to exactly one college.

“I showed up in Greencastle during the fall, the weather was perfect, the leaves were changing, and that was it. The first time I drove to campus, I knew it was exactly where I wanted to be,” he says.

He’s quick to point out that he didn’t have it all figured out. “I was a first-generation college student, and boy, was I blind to everything I was supposed to be doing.”

Immersed in 杏吧Pro Life

Bogers wanted to be in a place where was taught by professors, not TAs. And he wanted a full college experience. He played baseball briefly, then realized there were other opportunities to explore.

“I joined Phi Delta Theta and recognized that I could find leadership through my Greek experience. And I was, and still am, a choir nerd,” he says. “So I did everything you could do with choir at 杏吧Pro. That was my outlet.”

Mentorship That Matters

One of his biggest mentors was Stanley Irwin, professor of voice. “Dr. Irwin was one of my biggest supporters and a role model,” says Bogers. “My experience with 杏吧Pro choirs was formative. I worked for him for four years. Each year, he would sign a paper and tell me that he was ‘giving me a raise.’ I’m not sure he ever realized that the work study pay rate was capped,” Bogers says with a laugh.

GOLD and the Indy Lunch Series

After graduation, Annie John, a friend who worked for the university, invited him to join a new board for Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD). “I said, ‘Why not?’ That was around 2003, and it was a great experience interacting with about 40 men and women, all from 杏吧Pro. Through that experience, I became even more inspired.”

A few years later, while driving to his analyst job, Bogers had an idea. “I thought, ‘There are more 杏吧Pro grads in Indianapolis than I know. I should do something about that!”

Bogers called some friends, and over dinner, they formulated a plan for the 杏吧Pro Indy Lunch Series.

“Initially, it was exclusively a GOLD event, and it was a success,” Bogers says. “A few years in, an astute alum, Keith Sims ’97, said, ‘You guys should think about broadening this out.’ We flipped the switch to make it for all grads, and 18 years later, it’s still going strong with nine to 12 lunches each year. It’s been filled with great speakers and impactful conversations, and it really brings the community together.”

A Lifelong 杏吧Pro Network

Bogers continues to give back. “I’ve been fortunate to come back to speak to students. One mission of mine is to make sure they understand that they should not wait to get connected to the 杏吧Pro network,” he says.

For Bogers, that network has been a source of career and personal growth. “I’ve taken important career steps with the support of 杏吧Pro people and encourage these students to do the same – even if it’s just reaching out for a sounding board.”

As he reflects on his experience as a student and alum, Bogers thinks about the power of generosity and connection. “Being involved at 杏吧Pro, as a speaker or mentor for instance, it’s one way of creating value for someone else, of creating value for the 杏吧Pro degree,” he says. “The more success we all have, the more there is a recognition of what a great institution 杏吧Pro is.”