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Laker Alums Find Love on Campus and Flourish Professionally After Lake Land
The same enthusiasm, commitment and desire to make a difference that led Todd Rauch and then Ali Vice to succeed as student leaders at Lake Land College have propelled them through outstanding careers in Opelika, Alabama, where they continue to make a difference in their professions and community.
The Rauches met at Lake Land in 2006 when they served on the Student Government Association and were instrumental in the building of the Lake Land College Fitness Center. Ali was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Todd served as the 2006-2007 Student Trustee. They are the only couple to have married on campus.
The Rauches' 2009 wedding in the Laker Field House
Today, Todd Rauch is a city council member for the City of Opelika, in Alabama, serving his constituents as their elected representative in the legislative branch of Opelika's Municipal Government, which is the policy-making body. He was recently named to Business Alabama's Movers & Shapers list.
At the age of 17, Todd joined the military and two years later was deployed to Iraq where he was wounded. He returned to the states at age 20 to spend the next two years living at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During this time he created a music therapy program to help wounded soldiers. It was immediately following this experience that Todd enrolled at Lake Land College and earned an associate degree.
Upon completion, he transferred to Auburn University, graduated and went on to become an intelligence specialist and have a top secret TSSCI security clearance, and worked to make a difference for Aviation & Missile Command before moving on to his current career path.
Ali serves as president & CEO of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce, a membership organization that acts as the voice for business for almost 20,000 employees across Opelika and the surrounding area. Most recently, she led the Opelika Chamber to join the top 3% of Chambers nationwide, earning a five-star accreditation for their sound business practices through the US Chamber of Commerce. Ali was named to, "Alabama's Movers & Shapers 2021.” In her previous role at Chicken Salad Chick, she was also named to 2019's Women in the Lead by Fast Casual Magazine, and QSR Magazines 15 Young Restaurant Leaders to Watch in 2020.
Ali was a first-generation college student at Lake Land as was the first in her family to earn an associate degree and transfer on to earn a bachelor’s at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. She began working at the age of 12 and by her senior year of high school had three simultaneous jobs.
The Rauches' Top 10 Best Pieces of Advice to Laker Alumni
#10 The perfect ice breaker when greeting someone or walking into a room of friends or strangers is to say, “Are you staying out of trouble?” When parting ways, bring it full circle by saying, “Make sure you stay out of trouble!” #9 As Ashton Kutcher said, “I believe opportunity looks a lot like hard work.” You will never get far in life if you don’t realize that hard work is required. #8 Success is like fighting a gorilla. You don’t stop when you’re tired. You stop when the gorilla is tired. #7 You WILL NOT get your dream job right after graduation. BUT, if you treat every job as a way to learn and improve, you will be ready when the dream job presents itself. #6 If you want to be successful, “faking it till you make it” is not a thing. Instead, “face it till you make it.” Get up. Work Hard. Fail. Stand back up. Face it again. Do a little better. Until you succeed. #5 There is necessity in the word NO. If you find yourself stressed or not enough time on your hands, it’s likely because you’ve said yes to too many things. Practice saying no. #4 Whatever you want to achieve, start now. Start with fear. Start with doubt. Start where you are with what you have, but start and don’t stop. #3 The power of positivity is a very real thing. You cannot control what other people do, or say. You can, however, control how you react. Choose to see the positivity in every situation. You can thank me later. #2 Be where your feet are. There is no way of knowing when you are in the “good old days,” until you have already left them. #1 You can never be overdressed or over educated. When in doubt, dress yourself up and keep learning.
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