Pathways sponsors the First Year Experience activities, faculty advising, study skill improvement programs, co-curricular involvement programs, graduate and professional school advising, testing services, Supplemental Instruction and student counseling. Pathways also works with other Wartburg programs such as Career Services and the Wartburg Writing/Reading Lab (WWRL).

The WWRL, located inside of the Pathways Center, is an all-purpose tool that students with writing difficulties may use.

Senior Rachel Martell, the WWRL student manager, said the peer consultants working in the lab are willing to help with any part of the writing process - from initial brainstorming to final editing.

Career Services offers a variety of services, not only to seniors heading out into the job market, but to new students as well.

"We help those with no clear direction where they want to go after college. We let them know they don't have to do what society wants them to do. We help them discover their dreams," said Will Smith, director of career services.

Career Services can help a student choose a major, find job experience in a field the student may wish to pursue, prepare for job interviews and experiences in the real world and much, much more.

Counseling Services is another of Pathways' branches. Recently relocated to the Pathways Center, Counseling Services can help students deal with numerous issues. Common student concerns include roommate problems, homesickness, relationship issues, depression, phobias, family difficulties, addictions, grief issues, past history of physical, sexual and/or emotional abuse, troubles adjusting to a college environment, and dealing with trauma of sexual assault or personal violence.

Wartburg has a full-time counselor with a master's degree in counseling, Stephanie Newsom, as well as Paraprofessional counselors Sara Kluender, Amanda Porter and Ida Sciebstad.

The Counseling Center offers individual counseling sessions (maximum of eight sessions per person per year) and group-counseling sessions as needed.

Testing Services is yet another branch of Pathways. Testing Services director Mary Traetow said Testing Services offer a wide variety of tests to help Wartburg students, including CLEP tests, Challenge Exams, in house exams, and the math 90 exam. Testing Services also provides ACT testing to prospective students.

According to Traetow, Testing Services has been expanding in recent years to include special testing, designed to help students with additional needs. Testing Services coordinates with instructors to create a test or testing environment that meets the students needs and doesn't force the instructors to deviate much from their plans.

Pathways started six years ago when the Education Policy Committee decided that even though all the services were available to Wartburg students, these services needed a central location.

The answer was the formation of Pathways. The first Pathways center opened in 1996 in the basement of the old library. In 1998, Pathways moved to the basement of Grossmann Hall while the new library was under construction. This year, Pathways has moved to its new location in the library, where it plans to remain permanently.

Vicki Edelnant has been the director of Pathways since it was formed. Edelnant said she likes the new location, as it is easily accessable to students.

"We hope students will be in the library anyway, so if they need help, they'll stop by," said Edelnant.

The alumni who formerly worked in the Pathways Center were "in awe" of the Center's new location. One Alumnus commented it was nice to see peer consultants because it’s less intimidating to work with other students.

Director Edelnant said she believes that the Center has the potential to help many students but, "there are more students we could help if they just came in."