Leaving behind a legacy: Pioneer parents’ donation to create academic career hub | News, Sports, Jobs

(Illustration provided)
This rendering shows Marietta College’s planned Milone Center for Academic and Career Success, a $1 million project funded fully by Mike and Julie Milone, which is expected to be completed by early fall.

A donation from the parents of an alumnus will transform the first floor of Marietta College’s Legacy Library into the centralized location for integrated student academic and career services.

According to a release from the college, construction of the Milone Center for Academic and Career Success — a $1 million project funded fully by Mike and Julie Milone — is set for this summer and expected to be completed by early fall.

“We are incredibly grateful to Mike and Julie Milone for believing in the mission of this project,” Interim Marietta College President Kathleen Poorman Dougherty said. “This new center reflects our commitment to helping students succeed during their time here and thrive in their lives beyond Marietta College. The Milones’ generosity speaks to their inspiring vision and their deep dedication to helping our students achieve career success and build meaningful and productive futures.”

The release said the project will centralize the services of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Career Development, Education Abroad, the Academic Resource Center, the Communication Center and the Writing Center, along with including a new Information Center.

The Milones’ history with MC began when their son, John, a member of the class of 2012, was a psychology major and a scholar in the McDonough Center for Leadership & Business. John’s wife, Gail Fitchett Milone, was a health science major and fellow member of the Class of 2012.

During that time, Mike Milone was asked to lecture to a leadership class as a result of his involvement with international business. Eventually he provided lectures for classes in economics, political science and psychology on various topics. This led to his tenure on Marietta’s Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2019.

“When brainstorming opportunities to strengthen the college, particularly enrollment, the board concluded a strong belief from prospective parents that positive career outcomes are a major selling point,” Mike Milone said in the release. “Stealing an idea from my alma mater where a new building dedicated to career services was recently constructed, we envisioned a center committed to career services, which was expanded to include other support and success functions.”

The new space will include a suite of interview rooms where students can prepare for and participate in job and internship interviews, both in person and virtually. These rooms will provide a professional setting for mock interviews, recruiter calls and graduate school conversations, helping students gain confidence and sharpen their communication skills in a real-world environment, the release said.

Senior Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Career Development Jackie Khorassani said experiential learning is important to student success.

“Thanks to this transformative gift, the first floor of the library will become a vibrant hub where students are inspired to dream big and take ownership of their future,” Khorassani said in the release. “By combining academic support, global education and a reimagined approach to career development – one that encourages students to explore boldly, take initiative and not be afraid to try new things – we’ll empower them to discover who they are, what drives them and how they can create opportunities for themselves and their communities.”

Mike Milone said education “opens doors to the future.

“The goal of education is improved life outcomes. Career services, student support and success improve outcomes and open opportunities,” he said.

While Mike was in graduate business school, he held a work-study position in the Placement Office. Julie was his supervisor, though the couple didn’t date until Julie had graduated and moved on from that role.

“Long story made short, (our) work in the placement office related directly to (Mike’s) job and 32-year career with one company, not to mention 44 years of marriage, two children and four grandchildren (still counting),” Julie Milone said.

Sarah Long, Marietta’s director of philanthropy, said the Milones’ gift will have “a profound impact” on current and future students.

“It emphasizes our unwavering commitment to helping students develop the skills, experiences and confidence they need to thrive after college,” she said. “We’re incredibly grateful for the Milones’ vision and generosity — this investment in student success will help carry Marietta College’s tradition of excellence into its second century with energy and purpose.”