there are possibilities with federal agencies in Springfield, and maybe even at the Springfield airport with the TSA,” Joe DiRenzo said. MacMurray has alumni living all across the United States and the DiRenzos see a great opportunity for the College to take advantage of such a vast network. “I think the big take-home point is that there are a lot of alums out there that can help the College, not just as a trustee or as an alumni board member, but they can also provide internship opportunities for our students whether it’s through their own career or their spouses,” Karen DiRenzo said. Joe DiRenzo added, “Even if it’s not a direct internship opportunity, there are plenty of ways alumni can help. Students who are going into the internships might need financial help because there is an expense getting to the internship, living expenses and even having the appropriate business attire to wear.” Internships have such a positive effect on students – look no further than the experience Hann took away from her time with the Coast Guard. “This opportunity has helped give me connections with people I would have never thought I’d receive,” Hann said. “In addition, it helped me clarify what I want to do after Mac. I had such a wonderful experience working at the RDC and I constantly find myself wishing to go back, which is why one of my interests now is actually joining the Coast Guard.”
“ I think the big take -home point is that there are a lot of alums out there that can help the College ... they can also provide internship opportunities for our students ... "
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BEN PERKINS ’18
B
en Perkins ’18 lived with his father in Greely, Colorado, after his parents divorced. As an 18-year-old high school graduate, Perkins was not interested in attending college. He had one interest – following his father’s footsteps and joining the military with the goal of becoming a paratrooper. Despite his father’s attempts to keep him from enlisting, Perkins joined the Army in 1985 and was stationed as an infantryman with the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After serving three years in Vicenza, Italy, and doing a tour in Operation Desert Shield/ Desert Storm, Perkins retired from the military and moved to Springfield, Illinois, where he took classes and became an EMT in 1994. At the same time, he began his law enforcement career as a patrol officer at Sangamon State University, now University of Illinois – Springfield. Perkins worked at the university until 1996 when he joined the Springfield Police Department. Despite his budding career and civilian life, Perkins missed the comradery of the military and, in 1999, enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard where he was assigned as a combat medic with the Forward Support Medical Company at Camp Lincoln in Springfield. He worked several assignments and eventually became the Evacuation Platoon Sergeant.