With the fall semester in full swing, the University is excited to begin a new season of Why Witt, which transitioned into an official talk show this summer. The show will feature Wittenberg alumni from all backgrounds and career paths who desire to help current students see the various journeys to success that a Wittenberg education makes possible.
Educational leader and principal of Worthington Kilbourne High School in Worthington, Ohio, Aric Thomas, class of 1999, will kick off the season on Thursday, Aug. 29, beginning at 7 p.m. in Founders, located on the lower level of the Benham-Pence Student Center. Thomas will be joined by show hosts Timmy McCarthy, class of 2002 and the University’s first-ever Professional in Residence, and John “HUD” Hudson, business owner, friend, and former classmate.
Committed to aligning education with job market demands and student interests, Thomas has ensured that Worthington Kilbourne's courses are competitive, engaging, and rich in real-world experiences such as internships and capstone projects.
After graduating from Wittenberg with a BA in mathematics and a minor in education, Thomas began teaching math at Beechcroft High School in Columbus until 2006. After earning his master’s degree in secondary school administration/principalship from The Ohio State University, he opted to go into administration and became assistant principal at Groveport Madison High School in 2006, then principal in 2010. He stayed at the school for 11 years before taking a the head position at Worthington Kilbourne in 2017 where he just finished his seventh year. Thomas also carries a superintendent licensure from The Ohio State University, which he earned in 2018.
During his time at Wittenberg, Thomas first played football in 1995 before moving over to baseball from 1996-99. He did his student teaching at Springfield Shawnee High School coupled with volunteer work at Oesterlen Services for Youth, Inc., both helping to solidify his goal of wanting to work with young people.
Thomas and spouse Donita have three children, Riley (22), Makenna (19), and Ty (13). Makenna is starting her third year at Wittenberg.
Why Witt will take a dive into Thomas’ professional journey in keeping with the first show’s focus on education.
The brainchild of entrepreneurs McCarthy, class of 2002, and Hudson, the prior Why Witt podcast debuted in the summer 2023. Just like the original setup, the new talk show will air in front of a live studio audience once a month. Featured guests are Wittenberg alumni, who also agree to mentor a current Wittenberg student following their participation in the program.
McCarthy and Hudson will ask the following primary questions of all its guests: what led them to Wittenberg; what happened while they were here; and how did they navigate the path after leaving Wittenberg? Each show is approximately one hour – 50 minutes for conversation and 10 minutes for audience questions. A link to listen will be posted on the program’s YouTube channel the day after each conversation, as well as on Spotify. Contact information for connecting with the Why Witt Talk Show creators can also be found on the program’s website here.
