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Alumni Spotlight - Ambra Hermann `95

Ambra Hermann

Do you have the best job ever? Well, Ambra Hermann, a 1995 writing grad (who actually walked in 1993) from Lakeland College may argue that you couldn't possibly, because she does. Ambra says she is proud of where her career path has taken her. Currently, she works for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Sheboygan County as the coordinator for the "Lunch Buddy" Program. Ambra is responsible for matching adult mentors with children in Sheboygan county elementary schools. The volunteers meet with their Lunch Buddy student once a week to eat, talk, play games, shoot hoops, anything to hang out and give the child one-on-one attention. "It's a lot of fun for both the adults and the kids. It's fulfilling to see how the children progress once they are set up with a mentor" says Ambra.

The funny thing is, Ambra had vastly different plans when mapping out her future during her time at Lakeland. Ambra aspired to use her writing and art degree in publishing or public relations, but never thought she would stay in the area, "I'm a big city girl at heart!" she admits. However, Ambra did indeed stay to work for a local businesswoman who owned a specialty store and was heavily involved with politics. Ambra recalls her time spent with this woman, "I was kind of like her Girl Friday, I did a lot of this and that, helped her at her store and attended to her personal affairs." Unfortunately this woman passed away a few years ago but she remains in Ambra's heart, "She was one of the most fascinating people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing." After her stint as a personal assistant of sorts, Ambra decided to be a stay-at-home mom. For seven years she stayed home with her children, and also sold Mary Kay for a short time.

Ambra stresses the importance of experience relating to jobs and life in general, "No matter what your major is or what career you end up having, any experiences that let you grow mentally make you more complete. Ambra is often questioned when she tells people that she majored in writing rather than English, but knows that the experience she obtained at Lakeland has given her a solid foundation in writing. As a result of this knowledge Ambra states, "I have a lot of confidence in myself and in my ability to communicate effectively, which is a huge part of my job."

Part of her Lakeland experience included the interaction she got as a student with the professors. As a writing major Ambra was part of a tight-knit group of students and she had the opportunity to bounce creative thoughts off of others while receiving feedback. Ambra's favorite memory of Lakeland is Karl Elder's poetry class. "I still have some of those poetry packets and will laugh through them. Most of the comments are unprintable!" exclaims Ambra. Ambra remembers Karl as being a very inspiring individual. Her out-of-class memories of Lakeland involved doing crazy things with her friend Karen, taking Film Production during winterim, learning to appreciate Pink Floyd "thanks to Dan Callahan," and her other favorite professors, Dr. Leach and Dr. Devaney, Bill and Denise Weidner. The one thing Ambra misses about Lakeland is that it was the time of her life when she had only herself to worry about.

Ambra and her husband Jon have been married for 12 years. They have two sons, Michael, age 9, and Andrew, age 6. Ambra is very involved in the Sheboygan community where she is part of the PTO at Madison Elementary, Cub Scouts, Big Sisters, and volunteering at Jefferson Elementary where she spearheads a 5th grade Girls Club. In addition she has been heavily involved with autism awareness, since her oldest son was diagnosed when he was two-years-old. When Ambra is not volunteering you can be sure to find her walking, biking, listening to music, or reading from her extensive book collection. If you would like more information on becoming a "Lunch Buddy" or volunteering in another way with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, please contact Ambra at ambra@bbbssc.org.

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