Good Vibes
“I don’t think you’re going to find a place like (Central) that just allows you to grow in whatever direction you want to.”
– Miles Wichhart ’21
Hometown: Pella, Iowa
Major: Business Management
Minor: Entrepreneurship
Scholarships: Presidential, Heritage, Journey, Music, Grandia and Petz
Campus Activities: Football, Percussion Ensemble, Study Abroad (Mérida, Mexico)
Career: Account Manager, Innova Management, Inc., Des Moines, Iowa
The way Miles Wichhart ’21 talks about venturing out and discovering things, it’s not surprising it took him so long to come around to attending Central College. After all, kids are quick to want to leave their hometown.
Wichhart reluctantly visited, waiting until his senior year of high school to truly see the campus and all Central could offer.
“You can’t really judge a book by its cover,” Wichhart says. “I’m definitely glad I came here. I was looking at bigger schools, trying to get away, but I truly found this home away from home.”
Wichhart certainly has a penchant discovering and experiencing new things. It’s what he wanted in his college experience and a main reason he hadn’t considered Central.
However, he quickly found out discovery and experiences are exactly what Central offered. From the chance to continue playing football to working at Tulip Time to a study aboard trip to Mexico, Wichhart has relished every opportunity.
He especially loved his semester in Merida, Mexico, an eye-opening experience.
“It’s something I’ll never forget,” Wichhart says. “I’m not going to get that experience any other time in my life, to go to a foreign place and integrate myself into the culture. Central put a hand on my shoulder and guided me through that situation, while also giving me the freedom to figure things out my own way, too.”
It’s exactly what Wichhart sought — to explore, to discover, to open himself up to new things and new ideas. That discovery, including some self-discovery, led to the tattoo near the end of his time in Mexico.
“It says ‘Good Vibes Contagious’ on my side,” he says. “For me, it was just symbolizing my whole experience in Mexico. That night, my buddies and I were just reflecting back. We’re adventurous. We’re trying new things. We’re open to whatever comes our way.”
Wichhart brought that mindset back to campus with him and remains open to whatever comes his way in the next few years. He’s a business management major with a minor in entrepreneurship. The latter certainly leaves the door open to discovery.
Whatever happens down the road, Wichhart knows he has Central to thank. It’s made him who is, opening his mind to all kinds of new possibilities.
“I knew Central would be a safe place for me to grow academically and as a person. The environment is so supportive that you can grow in so many different ways,” he says. “You walk around and see smiles every single day. I don’t think you’re going to find a place like that, that lets you grow in whatever direction you want to.”