Liberal Arts Week at WCC highlights soft skills in career success, public invited

Washtenaw Community College is hosting its annual Liberal Arts Week on October 21-25 with free virtual and in-person events open to all in the community.

Multiple workshops will showcase how liberal arts classes and soft skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity empower personal and professional success while sustaining a fair and just society. Complete details can be found at washtenaw.cc/LAW24.

Keynote speakers who will open the day’s sessions on Monday, October 21, through Wednesday, October 23 include:

JACOB BROWN

A former professional football player, Jacob Brown is an experienced entrepreneur and engaging speaker who shares his #FailForward philosophy to a large social media following through powerful videos. He’ll talk about why failure is not a dead end, but rather fuel for future growth.

SUSAN WESTHOFF

The President of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Leslie Science & Nature Center, Susan Westhoff strives to create a sense of community in all her interactions and loves to provide opportunities for everyone to experience something new and inspiring.

STEPHANIE MANSOUR

The host of “Step Up with Steph” on PBS, Stephanie Mansour is also a health and fitness contributor to the TODAY Show, a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor, Pilates instructor and weight-loss coach.

Following each morning keynote speaker are a variety of workshops, panel discussions and other sessions each day.

Attendees of a Career Exploration workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23, will explore careers from the inside out with the help of virtual reality technology. Attendees will engage directly with up to three different workplace scenarios ranging from operating on a knee to welding a specialty pipe. Test how you might respond in real-time to profession-specific contexts. Attendees must pre-register for this workshop by Noon on Monday, October 21.

All sessions are designed to provide insight from seasoned professionals and industry experts through hands-on workshops and real-world scenarios. Attendees can expand their networks by connecting with like-minded professionals and take home valuable tools and resources to continue workplace skills development.

A sample of the topics include:

• Local Employers Speak: What We Need in New Hires
• Blazing Your Own Trail: Successful Career Transitions in the Liberal Arts
• Cool Careers in Writing Panel & Networking Event
• Taking Career Exploration from the Virtual Level to Reality
• Career Vision Boarding and Reflection
• Cool Careers in Communications, Media and Theatre Arts

Liberal Arts Week at WCC

To register, or to find more information about each keynote speaker and workshop, visit washtenaw.cc/LAW24.

About Washtenaw Community College

Washtenaw Community College (WCC), Ann Arbor, Michigan, educates students through a wide range of associate and certificate programs in areas such as liberal arts, health care, business, STEM, advanced transportation and mobility. WCC offers accelerated and online programs to meet student needs. The college also works through community, business and union partnerships to develop highly specialized training programs to meet the region’s workforce talent needs.

For more information about Washtenaw Community College, visit www.wccnet.edu.