Wes Werner '21
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Business Administration major from LaSalle, Ontario, Canada
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Captain of men’s DI hockey team
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Member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
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President of Tau Sigma Honor Society
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Vice President of Fellowship of Christian Athletes
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Campus Ministries CORE team member/worship leader
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Named to the President’s List
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Management and marketing intern at Silvester & Associates Real Estate Team
By Stephanie (Coartney) Dulaney '10
Just like choosing a major, sometimes selecting the university that’s your perfect
fit means starting again until you find it. For Business Administration major Wes Werner ’21, it meant transferring from his hometown university in Canada to make his mark on
McKendree and get the college experience he was craving all along.
Wes knew that, more than anything, he wanted to play collegiate hockey, and he started
out doing just that at the University of Windsor in Canada. Located close to home,
it gave him the opportunity to compete on the junior hockey team, but he felt lost
in huge lecture halls alongside more than 500 students at a time. “I didn’t get the
more intimate learning experience that McKendree offers and that I very much appreciate,”
he said. “When I was brought to McKendree by Garry Henson, the men’s hockey coach,
I fell in love with the school and the vision for the men’s hockey program and knew McKendree was the place for me.”
Wes not only helped lead the newly created Bearcat hockey team to victory after victory,
but he also discovered more opportunities to meet new people and cultivate other passions.
He took on the role of President of Tau Sigma, the honor society for transfer students,
and even attended the 2019 national conference in Washington, D.C., to learn more
about how other colleges have grown Tau Sigma on their campuses. “Tau Sigma is a critical
organization as it not only recognizes the outstanding achievements of transfer students,
but also gives transfer students an opportunity to connect with one another,” Wes
said. “Often transfer students tend to be a few years older and come in not having
connections, so this gives them a chance to meet new people and have a group they
can be a part of on campus.”
Faith is also an important part of Wes’ life, so he took advantage of McKendree’s
Campus Ministries program, becoming a CORE team member and worship leader on campus,
as well as Vice President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). He witnessed
the programs grow from just a handful of students participating to more than 60 actively
involved, and he is grateful to have been a part of it.
Although Wes didn’t begin his college journey as a Bearcat, he is finishing as a McKendree
graduate with countless achievements and unforgettable memories. After graduating
in May, he plans to start a contracting business with him family back home, as well
as get involved with a program to introduce young people to investing. He hopes to
coach one day and will continue to grow his podcast “Offside with Big Wes” on the
side. His advice to other transfer students is simple: make McKendree your home.
"College is an important part of life and it will be so worth it to look back and see
the memorable experiences you have gained as part of the McKendree community."
Learn more about opportunities at McKendree University.
Make It McKendree
