Brother and Sister grads stay in touch

Like many brothers and sisters, Bill Logan '77 and Diane Logan Wells '90 fought like cats and dogs when they were children. Unlike many brothers and sisters, the two siblings grew up to follow similar academic and career paths which has led to success in their respective careers. Today the two Clarion graduates are closer than ever - despite hectic schedules, family obligations, and being separated by thousands of miles.

Bill, a senior systems engineer with Siemens Telecom Networks, lives in Munich, Germany with his wife and daughter. Diane, a training specialist for Calgon Carbon, lives just outside Pittsburgh with her husband and two sons.

"We constantly discuss where our next business trips might be in hopes of being able to meet up," Bill says. "One time we connected in San Francisco and our younger sister ended up there during the week as well. It was one of the best times we ever had.

"We used to fight all the time," Bill says of his childhood relationship with his sister Diane. " It wasn't until both of my sisters and my mother were in a car accident that I began to appreciate the special bond Dee (as she was called then) and I had as brother and sister. We both ended up at Clarion University and spent a lot of time together. It wasn't just a matter of me playing the overprotective older brother. Even after we both got started in our careers, we managed to spend as much time together as possible because we enjoy each other's company.

"Now I travel in the U.S., I try to fly through Pittsburgh. And when I'm in town, I always stay with Diane and her family. In fact, the only time I leave her house is to go watch my nephews play basketball. Diane and I are so close, I even took her to my 20th year high school reunion."

That closeness - between brother and sister and between Diane, Bill, and their parents - proved to be a major factor in the academic and career paths both took. Bill credits the support he received from his family for helping him overcome obstacles in college that almost led him to drop out. Diane admits that she probably wouldn't have attended Clarion had Bill, who is two years her senior, not already been going there.

Bill Logan's Story

For Bill, the story begins with his love of sports.

"I played three sports in high school, so athletics have always been important to me," Bill says, "I attended Clarion University because I was offered a basketball scholarship. Plus, I thought it was a really beautiful campus.

"My freshman year was great. I really liked my coaches and was playing well. Then a new coach came in. We just didn't get along. I wasn't getting any playing time, he seemed to favor other players over me even though I repeatedly proved my ability, and there was a concern about whether I'd get to keep my basketball scholarship. It got to a point my sophomore year that I was ready to quit and drop out of Clarion. I didn't feel I could handle the stresses of studying and trying to get along with the coach.

" My parents said I had a choice. I could go back to school and stick it out or I could quit, get a job and start paying rent. Either way, it wasn't going to be the end of the world if I didn't play basketball. But I would be forever changing the course of my future if I quit Clarion," Bill says.

"As a result, I stuck it out with the team another year before quitting so I could concentrate on my studies I really wanted to make something of myself, and it was more important to focus my energies on getting through college than on trying to make things work in basketball. It was a hard decision.

"It helped that at the time Diane was a freshman at Clarion. I was looking out for her the way you'd expect from a big brother. But she was also giving me support by telling me I could do anything I put my mind to. I eventually ran track at Clarion, so I didn't have to give up my love of sports. And in 1977, I got my degree."

With a business degree in hand, Bill set out to pursue a career in management. He moved to Dayton, Ohio, where a cousin worked for General Motors in hopes of getting a job there. He ended up with Household Financial Corporation instead. After only a few months he accepted a position with NCR in Dayton where he got his start in the computer industry as an entry level programmer. Two and a half years later he was recruited by a firm in Cape Canaveral, Florida where he moved into the telecommunications business. He joined Siemens in 1986. Siemens' is the third largest switch supplier in the U.S. and has the world's best selling telephone switch.

Bill was immediately sent on special assignment to Germany. Following a stint back in Florida from 1989 to 1995, he returned on special assignment to Germany where he plans to be until 1998.

"The people I worked with in Germany during my first assignment requested that I come back, so that was very flattering. My responsibilities with the company are vast. While on assignment in Munich, I'm the lead systems engineer for the coordination, design and development of software for Wireline (e.g., public switch), Wireless (e.g., Mobile), and ATM (e.g., video) telephone switches. My area of responsibility deals mainly with the transport of the voice, data, or video or all of these over fiber optic paths. I help transform the requirements provided by the American National Telecommunication Standards committee into the software for development within my company's product."

Although Bill loves his job and the challenges it holds, he admits it has its down side. In addition to being away from his family in the states and having to spend time away from his wife and daughter because of travel, the move to Germany put a hold on his secondary career interest - a career in acting and modeling.

"Before I went back to Germany in 1995, I was getting several calls from casting agencies. I was an extra in a Showtime movie with supermodel Kathi Ireland and received a casting call for the movie "Fair Game" with Cindy Crawford. It was something I was pursuing only a part-time basis, but when I get back to the states, I hope to pick it up again. "

Although his business degree from Clarion isn't directly related to his career in the telecommunications industry or his interest in acting, Bill says his experiences at Clarion "helped me to interface and communicate with people at all levels and of all aces and nationalities.

"Even more important, I had to overcome a lot of hurdles pertaining to my personal life and career path while at Clarion. Sometimes it's those kind of experiences, how you handle them, and the support you receive from professors, team mates, coaches, friends, and family that make all the difference in your future success."

Diane Wells' Story

Like her brother, Diane Logan Wells credits family ties and support for much of her personal and professional success.

"Clarion was the only place I applied. I used to visit Bill there and thought it was such a gorgeous campus. Bill was meeting people from all over the state, and everyone seemed like they were part of one big happy family. But I don't think I would have even considered going away to college had Bill not already had been at Clarion.

"It was nice having him there. We spent a lot of time together, especially since we had the same major. Even though he was two years older than me, we had some of the same classes so we could prepare for tests together.

"Bill also shared an apartment with our cousin who had a car. My 'chore' was to once a week go to their apartment and fix them a good meal. In return, they'd take me in the car to run errands. (Bill admits he and his cousin often got Diane to cook much more than once a week.)"

Although she majored in business administration and management, Diane says that 'in my heart, I always had a desire to work in the computer industry.' As it turned out that's what happened, even though the career path had its share of detours.

"I was supposed to have graduated in 1979 but due to an illness, I left right before graduation. Then I started working at one Calgon Carbon's plant sites where I was responsible for inventory. A few months later I got married and started having kids. We moved around a lot, and my career took off at Calgon. The timing wasn't right to finish my degree until 1990.

"My husband (Clarion Hall of Fame basketball player Reggie Wells) was an excellent basketball player and was playing internationally after college. While he was playing in South America, I took maternity leave from Calgon. My son and I moved down to Argentina for a few months to be with him. I used that time to learn Spanish and about the culture and to travel as much as possible.

"An ankle injury brought Reggie back to the states. A try out with the Detroit Pistons didn't work out so after playing internationally a few more months, Reggie got a job as a Pennsylvania State policeman. Because I had been out on maternity leave, I was able to get back on at Calgon even though it was in a different position. I was in applications software for awhile and then moved to information systems where I've been for the last 11 years.

"Today, as a training specialist, I coordinate all computer-related training for employees throughout company domestically and internationally. My position entails a lot of travel. In fact, I was just in Belgium and England. When I'm traveling, Reggie just naturally takes over all the household responsibilities. We have a great relationship. He's also coaching at the high school our sons attend - and where I went to high school myself - so he gets to spend a lot of time with the boys anyway.

"It's a challenging lifestyle, one that requires good time management and organizational skills. Even though my academic major isn't directly related to what I'm doing in my career, I think Clarion gave me good foundation skills in communication and decision making. Learning how to make good, sound decisions is important in anything you do. Plus, I did find a great husband at Clarion.

"One reason my experiences at Clarion have been so valuable to me in terms of my personal and professional life is the fact that I got to spend time with my brother there. I have such fond memories of those times that I encourage my own sons to consider attending the same college so they'll have similar opportunities for that family support."