Alumni Success Stories



Gaston Ntambo

In the Aviation program, Gaston received his pilot's license and used to reach his goal to help others.

Many individuals who choose to go to college do so with a dream of finding a better life. Gaston Ntambo's dream was different when he attended Davis College. He wanted an education to help his native countrymen in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a country torn apart by a brutal civil war.

Gaston, the son of United Methodist Bishop Ntambo Nkulu Ntanda, was born and raised in Kamina, DRC. He found Christianity by observing his father's undying faith and through the guidance of United Methodist missionaries. It was missionary John Enright who changed Gaston's life forever. Mr. Enright gave Gaston, who was 9 years old, his first pair of shoes. Gaston felt genuinely blessed by this gift and decided he wanted to spend his life helping others to feel the same way. Through the Epworth Church in Toledo, Gaston came to America and enrolled at Davis College to earn an education that could help his fellow countrymen in Kamina.

During his time at Davis, Gaston earned an Associate Degree in Managerial Accounting and Aviation Administration. In the Aviation program, Gaston received his pilot's license and used it to reach his goal to help others. He became a pilot for "Wings of the Morning," a program founded in 1960 by Ken Enright, the father of the missionary who gave Gaston his first pair of shoes. For "Wings of the Morning," Gaston would risk his life to fly medicine and supplies, as well as offering transportation to hospitals, to people of the DRC who have been ravaged by the civil war. In 1999, Gaston and his family had to leave the DRC because of the increasing conflict. Both the government and rebel soldiers would repeatedly threaten to commandeer his plane in support of the civil war.

In December 2001, Gaston and his family returned to the DRC. Gaston continues to live his dream by helping his fellow countrymen as missionaries of the General Board of Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church.

Dinana Overfield

Diana wants to touch lives the way her life was touched by the instructors at Davis.

Diana Overfield was a single mother in her 30's when she came to Davis College. She had been attending The University of Toledo with a dream of someday having a career in Engineering. Recently divorced, Diana had fallen on difficult times and the demands that accompany attending a large college was something she didn't want to deal with. She knew she still needed to complete some type of college to support her family. With this in mind, Diana enrolled at Davis College in the Business Management program. Diana chose Davis because she was able to obtain financial aid and take classes that would work around her demanding schedule.

Due to the recent events in her life, attending college was not easy for Diana. She had very low self esteem and felt like everything was out of control. Diana firmly credits the family atmosphere at Davis for giving her the personal support she needed to carry on. She gained the confidence and strength to rise above her reservations about herself and who she can become. In 1992, Diana Overfield finally overcame her personal obstacles and became the first member of her family to ever graduate from college.

As a Davis graduate, Diana knew there were no limits to what she could accomplish. She decided to further her education and earned a Bachelor's degree in Management and Organizational Development. Remarried, Diana currently serves as Director of Quality at the Alsons Corporation in Hillsdale, Michigan. She is actively involved in her church and participates in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life through Alsons. Diana continues to dream of a different tomorrow. She has returned to college with a goal of earning a Bachelor's degree in education. Diana wants to touch lives the way her life was touched by the instructors at Davis.

Russell Rayle

Russell credits his Davis experience as teaching him how to thoroughly analyze problems and effectively communicate his findings.

Russell Rayle enjoyed his bookkeeping classes in high school. This led to his interest in an accounting career. Russell enrolled in the Accounting program at Davis College in 1964.

With his attention to detail, Russell found an error in an accounting practice set in one of his classes at Davis. Though the practice set had been in place for many years, Russell knew the information was wrong and did extensive research to prove it. When Russell reported his findings, the accounting instructor contacted the publisher of the practice set to bring them to Davis. Russell met with the publisher and communicated how he discovered the error. The next time the accounting sets were published, the error was corrected. Russell credits his Davis experience as teaching him how to thoroughly analyze problems and effectively communicate his findings.

While he was a student at Davis, Mrs. Carolyn Scharer informed Russell of a job opportunity at First National Bank. At his interview, Russell was hired on the spot and started working as a nighttime employee with the bank. Russell held this position until he graduated from Davis in 1966. After graduation, Russell was drafted into the Army.

When Russell returned from the military, his position at First National Bank was still available. He began to work as a Day Branch Manager, where he would float from branch to branch to fill in where he was needed. Russell soon realized working in bank branches wasn't what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Russell moved to First National, which eventually became Fifth Third Bank, and started working in the bookkeeping department in the downtown offices.

Through the years, Russell became a very important part of the Fifth Third bookkeeping department. As an Operations Officer, he believed everyone's role was very important and it was equally important to listen to the employees. After 35 years with Fifth Third Bank, Russell left to take care of his mother. He strongly felt that family should always come first.

Ann Reisner

Ann looks back at her time at Davis with fond memories.

Ann Reisner enrolled in the Executive Secretarial program at Davis College in 1974. As a student Ann worked at Davis with College administrator Mrs. Carolyn Scharer in the Accounting office. She learned a great deal from Mrs. Scharer and enjoyed working with her. Ann was hired as Mrs. Scharer's secretary upon graduating in 1976.

Two years later, Ann learned of a secretarial job opening at Owens Corning. Though she deeply regretted leaving her friends at Davis, Ann felt the opportunity was one she should not pass up. While working at Owens Corning, Ann earned a Bachelors Degree in General Management and Business Administration at Siena Heights University.

After twelve years at Owens Corning, Ann left the company to focus her efforts on motherhood. She maintained this role until her kids were old enough where she could take on a part-time job. Ann worked at Trinova, a non-glass division of Libbey Owens Ford, for five years until the company was purchased and operations were moved out of Northwest Ohio. She has since worked in several other office environments in the surrounding area. Currently, she is employed with Savage Mortgage in Toledo.

Ann looks back at her time at Davis with fond memories. She appreciated the fact that the instructors at Davis presented themselves not only as professionals but also as people. Ann always enjoyed the fact that the faculty and staff at Davis could always laugh at themselves and not take things too seriously.

William Rinehart

William credits Davis College for giving him the foundation he needed to have a successful career.

William Rinehart enrolled in the Davis College Data Processing program in the summer of 1963. While learning how to wire and operate IBM punch-card accounting machines, William also completed course work in computer programming. Prior to graduation, William found employment through Davis at the Air National Guard base at the Toledo Express Airport. There he helped to automate the base accounting department.

The programming knowledge he received at Davis helped William to qualify for a job at the Kaiser Jeep Corporation. Within two years, he was promoted to senior programmer and then Supervisor of Programming. In this position, William helped to install an online, real-time inventory management system that was nearly twenty years ahead of most businesses.

When American Motors purchased Jeep in 1970, William turned down an offer to relocate to Detroit. He decided to enter the field of computer consulting and transferred to the Questor Corporation's AP parts division. While designing computer systems and databases for AP parts, William taught computer systems and database design for seven years at the University of Toledo to both undergraduate and graduate students.

When AP Parts downsized and left the Toledo area, William joined The Andersons. He remained there for ten years until his retirement at age 65. After working 43 years in the Information Technology field, William credits Davis College for giving him the foundation he needed to have a successful career.

Dee Russell

Dee credits Davis for developing her love for the Interior Design field.

When Dee Russell graduated from high school in 1995 she had a scholarship opportunity to attend an out-of-state college. She didn't want to move too far away from home so she began looking for local schools that she could attend. Her mother is a Davis graduate and she encouraged Dee to look into the College. With always having an interest in art, Dee decided to enroll at Davis in the Interior Design program.

Towards the end of her program Dee performed her externship with Style Rite, a local lighting specialty store. She had a great externship experience at Style Rite and was hired before graduating from Davis in 2001. Though she enjoyed working as an interior designer, she felt she needed a change in her life and left Style Rite to work in retail. Spending some time away from doing design helped Dee to recognize her passion for the field. Refocused and rededicated, Dee left her retail job for a position at Miles Distribution, a ceramic tile distributor.

Working at Miles, Dee learned a great deal about how flooring plays a crucial part in interior design. Dee began to take on more responsibility and took charge of the flooring showroom at the Miles facility. She also began to make many outside connections and was even asked by another designer to help with the organization of their showroom. Regrettably, after two years Miles closed its doors and Dee had to look for another job.

Her outside connections paid off when she was hired at Rick's Custom Tile and Granite, a former customer of Miles. At Rick's she performed many of the same responsibilities as she did at Miles but she also gained experience working with countertops and kitchen designs. This exposure working in both the flooring and kitchen areas lead to her accepting a position as a Flooring Specialist at ProSource, a local wholesale floor covering business. Dee enjoys working at ProSource because she is able to work with both commercial and high-end residential clients.

Dee credits Davis for developing her love for the Interior Design field. She enjoys the challenges each new project brings and likes the fact that no two jobs are ever the same. Her advice to budding interior designers is to always be open to change if your clients request it and try to gain more expertise with each new project.

Luke Ryan

Luke cites the marketing education he received at Davis as being very useful.

Luke Ryan came to Davis in the fall of 2000 with hopes of becoming an architect. He enrolled in the Interior Design program because he loved drafting and wanted to work with the Auto CAD computer software. Luke's long-term goal was to transfer to a four-year college and earn a bachelor's degree in an architectural program. As Luke progressed through the Interior Design courses, he began to recognize that the architectural profession wasn't really for him. He realized his true love is public speaking and working with people. Luke switched majors and in 2003 graduated from Davis with a Marketing degree.

After a brief stay at a local John Deere dealer as a sales representative, Luke accepted the Farm Manager position at Bittersweet Farms in Whitehouse, Ohio. Bittersweet Farms, a non-profit facility, has 80 acres of fields, gardens and woods where men and women with autism work together as partners with staff to live, learn, and grow while participating in meaningful activities. Many of these activities include tasks involving horticultural duties such as landscaping, gardening, and flower production. Luke oversees the operations of these activities and works hand in hand with several autistic individuals. Though it has been challenging at times, Luke's sincere desire to work with people has supported him in helping the autistic residents of Bittersweet Farms to discover new things in life. He also cites the marketing education he received at Davis as being very useful in merchandising many of the horticultural materials created by the autistic residents for sale to the general public.

In addition to his duties at Bittersweet Farms, Luke is also co-owner of Ryan Club Lambs. Through Ryan Club Lambs, Luke and his brother Mark raise over 70 "blue-ribbon quality" lambs a year for resale to numerous individuals across the State of Ohio and beyond. Many of the lambs that took top prizes in the area county fairs were purchases from Ryan Club Lambs.

Mary Ryan

Mary Ryan credits Davis College for shaping her entire adult life.

Mary Ryan credits Davis College for shaping her entire adult life. Mary, who graduated high school when she was 17 years old, enrolled at Davis College in 1977. She chose Davis because her father, who was a sales manager for a local real estate company, said he would hire a secretary from a business college over one that graduated from a university. After a brief time as a Medical major, Mary heeded her father's words and began taking classes in the Executive Secretarial program.

Mary wasn't a student very long before she started working in the Admissions office. It was in this environment that Mary met two of the most influential individuals in her life. Under the guidance of Miss Ruth Davis and Mrs. Carolyn Scharer, Mary learned a great deal about the business world. Miss Davis and Mrs. Scharer served as mentors to Mary, teaching her how to effectively and efficiently operate in a business environment. What Mary is most thankful for is how Miss Davis and Mrs. Scharer helped her grow as a person. They placed their faith in Mary and pushed her to be the best she could be.

Mary graduated in 1978 and has been with Davis as a staff member ever since. She has served the College by performing many different responsibilities. Through the years Mary has been an Admissions Secretary, Assistant to the President, Instructor, Alumni Association President, and Dean of Student Services. In her role as an Academic Advisor Mary enjoys working with the students of Davis College. The relationships that she forms with the students as an Advisor are very important to Mary. She hopes she can give direction to the students the way Miss Davis and Mrs. Scharer gave her guidance years ago.

Continuing her education has also been very important to Mary. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Toledo in 1997. Mary will earn her Master of Arts in Organizational Management Degree from Spring Arbor University by October 2006. Mary firmly believes an education is an investment and that no one can take the accomplishment of earning a degree away from you.

Carolyn Scharer

Carolyn doesn't call Davis College a "job." She thinks of it as her life.

Picture Davis College as a large, sturdy brick building. Each brick represents every instructor and staff member throughout the decades that Davis has been in existence. This building that represents Davis College would crumble if it were not for its sturdy foundation. There is one individual whose hard work and dedication to Davis College has helped to cement the foundation to which this brick building stands today. This individual is Mrs. Carolyn Scharer.

Carolyn Scharer came to Davis College right out of high school in 1948. She enrolled in the Executive Secretarial program and had Ms. Ruth Davis as an instructor. When Carolyn graduated in 1949, Ms. Davis asked her if she would be interested in working as her secretary. Carolyn, who came from a family of educators, accepted the opportunity to work in a college environment. This was a decision that would change her life forever. In 2004 Carolyn Scharer celebrated her 55th Anniversary as an employee of Davis College.

Carolyn has witnessed Davis College go through many changes. She has seen the College move locations and continuously adapt to the different business trends through five decades. Carolyn has held nearly every position available at Davis College. She can recall a time when it was only Ms. Davis and herself who performed all of the administrative duties, including Admissions.

Carolyn doesn't call Davis College a "job." She thinks of it as her life. Carolyn believes in the principles of the College and how it can help students to find the best in themselves and their lives. One and all at Davis College believe it has been Carolyn Scharer's hard work and dedication that has helped the College to stay true to its principles and to bring out the best of everyone involved.

Kadee attributes her Davis College experience for starting her down the path of loving teaching. She firmly believes learning is a lifetime experience and there are always new adventures awaiting anyone who believes in education.

Jane Shepard

Jane believes a positive attitude and a big smile will pave the way to a successful career and life.

Jane Shepard enrolled in the Secretarial program at Davis College in 1966 because her mother was a Davis graduate.

Just like her mother, Jane enjoyed her experience at Davis. She fondly remembers the friendly atmosphere and the constant smile of Ms. Ruth Davis, President of Davis College. Davis College helped Jane to get a secretarial job at Champion Spark Plug Company while she was still a student. To complete her program, Jane worked at Champion during the day and attended classes at night. She continued to juggle a full time job and school until she graduated in 1967.

After three years, Jane left Champion to start a family. When she felt the time was right Jane went back to work, accepting a secretarial job at Prestolite, a local battery and spark plug manufacturing company. Jane became a valuable asset at Prestolite and her supervisor thought very highly of her. When her supervisor learned of a secretarial job opening at the Medical College of Ohio (MCO), he suggested Jane should apply because he knew she would excel in the position. Jane accepted the job at MCO and worked for two years until deciding again to concentrate her efforts on her family.

To keep her skills updated while raising her family, Jane volunteered her time participating in parent groups and creating newsletters for the Anthony Wayne school system. In 1994, Jane went to work as the secretary to the President of Churchills, the local grocery store chain. Jane performed many public relations duties, which included giving speeches to civic groups on topics such as nutrition.

In September of 2000, Jane started working at the investment company Edward Jones. As the Branch Office Administrator at the Central Avenue location in Toledo, Jane enjoys interacting with the many Edward Jones clients. She feels building relationships with clients is very important to successfully meeting their investment needs. At Edward Jones, Jane hopes to create a friendly environment similar to what she experienced as a Davis College student. She believes a positive attitude and a big smile will pave the way to a successful career and life.

Carmela Sidell

Carmela credits her education at Davis for giving her the business training and technical skills that are necessary to be a successful Interior Designer.

Carmela Sidell was a stay-at-home mother of two when she decided to pursue a career as an Interior Designer. Carmela knew she needed a college education to make this dream a reality. She decided to enroll at Davis College because the environment catered to nontraditional students and the small class sizes were very appealing. In 1997, Carmela began taking classes in the Interior Design program as a part-time student.

Carmela was introduced to a guest speaker in one of her classes at Davis who owned a local Interior Design business. She was extremely impressed with the information the speaker gave the class and wanted to learn more. With enthusiasm, Carmela asked the speaker about the possibility of doing an externship with their business. The speaker accepted and Carmela gained a great deal of professional knowledge through this externship experience.

After years of taking part-time classes, Carmela graduated with honors from Davis College in 2004 with an Associates Degree in Interior Design. Carmela is now employed as a residential and commercial Interior Designer and has worked on many high profile projects. Her latest design effort is the completion of a Parade of Homes project located in the Northwoods development. She credits her education at Davis for giving her the business training and technical skills that are necessary to be a successful Interior Designer.

To the current and future students of Davis College, Carmela would like to offer some encouragement to never give up. She hopes they will stay focused on their goals and will utilize the help that the Davis instructors have to offer. Carmela believes time is going to pass by whether you do something with it or not, so with your time get a degree and better your future.

Brent Spencer

Brent believes to succeed you can't see a challenge as an obstacle

Growing up Brent Spencer always enjoyed going places and doing different things. These interests led Brent to Davis College, where he enrolled in the Travel and Airline Office Management program. At Davis Brent loved his instructors' enthusiasm for learning which helped motivate him to succeed in college. Brent graduated from Davis in 1997 and accepted a Travel Consultant position with American Express in Phoenix, Arizona. Brent assisted customers in making the right decisions to accommodate their travel needs.

Brent spent three years in this position until he moved to the Interactive Travel department. There he answered customer inquiries and helped troubleshoot any technological issues. Two years later Brent was promoted to Financial Analyst, which unfortunately proved to be short-lived. The department was downsized and he was going to lose his job if he remained in Phoenix. Wanting to remain with American Express, Brent accepted a leadership position in North Dakota.

In just a year Brent was promoted to Team Leader in an American Express performance center located in San Antonio, Texas. Brent now directs a staff of twenty Travel Consultants in the Business Travel division. American Express believes in promoting from within and Brent's task is to help his team grow and develop as professional individuals. Brent is fully committed to reaching the goals set by the company and enjoys the challenges that every day brings.

Brent attributes his Davis education to laying the foundation of his success with American Express. The practical knowledge and positive work ethic he learned at Davis has helped him persevere in the company. Brent also firmly believes that a person has to be engaged in what they do and never give up. To succeed you can't see a challenge as an obstacle. You have to see what you can do to remove the obstacle and effectively meet and overcome the challenge.