CAMPUS NEWS
‘Be Proud’: International Alumnus Praises Faculty Who Guided Him Christoph Schwemmlein ’84, Juniata Trustee and managing director of Klöcker Brothers, recalled his experience on campus as a German international student at the College’s 137th Commencement ceremony May 16 and extolled the value of a Juniata degree, saying to the graduating class of 343 students, “don’t forget about the people who guided you on your way.”
| Juniata
’84 receives hwemmlein from, left, Christoph Sc d y degree hoo sor and ar or on h his ofes , politics pr wen, Jack Barlow d Lauren Bo an , al sh ar faculty m wer right. provost, lo
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Schwemmlein was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree. In addition, James Lakso, provost emeritus at Juniata, and Raymond Figura, dean of business administration at Westfälische Hochschule (University of Applied Science), Bocholt campus, in Bocholt Germany, received honorary doctor of humane letters degrees. Schwemmlein, who helped build a small German company into a multinational corporation, reminisced about the relationships he made with faculty such as Klaus Jaeger, professor emeritus of German, and Bob Reilly, professor emeritus of social work: “They positively took me by the hand. Totally unusual for a German student (to experience). The two of them always took the time (to teach me) a new sense of studying.” He also credited Jaeger with pledging to help him financially if misfortune struck when he and a business partner borrowed the funds used to start the business now called Klöcker Brothers. “A professor of German and a former student,” Schwemmlein said.
“Across-borders trust. All of this made me feel brave and proud.” Schwemmlein, managing director of Klöcker Bros., graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business and computer science. He earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Applied Sciences of Muenster in 1984 and went on to earn a doctoral degree in 2001 from Bauman Moscow State Technical University. He joined Klöcker Bros. in 1990 and oversees all sales operations for the company. Under Schwemmlein’s leadership the company was transformed from a craft-oriented
Jim Lakso and Pat Wea ver, left, share a lau gh af ter W eaver introduced Lakso for h is own honor ary degree .