One of the many benefits of attending a small liberal arts college is the chance to develop connections, from calling professors by their first names no matter how many degrees they have, to waving at other students while walking to class or getting advice and help for summer internships.
Having connections to alumni has strengthened my experience at Guilford. I feel more attached and connected to every aspect of learning because I feel attached and connected to people that were once students like me.
Closer connections to alumni will help solve many issues with retention as well as remedy students feeling unprepared for the next stage of life after Guilford.
After my sophomore year, I planned to teach in the South Bronx through a summer internship at a nonprofit organization that aimed to promote literacy in impoverished areas. I started my search for housing in New York City without any success and began to panic as the spring semester passed and summer crept closer.
I spoke with Senior Director of Alumni Relations Karri Manson ’82 about my internship and the struggles I was facing with housing, and she immediately started to brainstorm how she could get alumni involved. She reached out to New York alums on the Facebook page and got multiple responses within the week, which she then shared with me. Minnette Coleman ‘73 responded to Karri, and after exchanging emails and phone calls, I had the pleasure of living with her and her family in Harlem.
By the end of the summer, I truly became a part of the family, as Minnette and her husband “Roach” affectionately refer to me as their “Texas daughter.” Unfortunately, many students are not as lucky and don’t have opportunities like I did.
During our time at Guilford, we meet new students, form stronger bonds with old ones and develop personal relationships with people who would be called our superiors at other institutions.
Time and time again, we are reminded of the resources available on campus. From the tours that walk into King Hall and point out the Career Development office, to the programs that aim to develop the leadership skills required for the “real world,” there is one resource that is widely overlooked.
The alumni not only understand what it was like as students to attend our quirky school, but they also know exactly what it means to have a degree from Guilford College and the blood, sweat and tears that went into it.
The writing-intensive nature of our courses and the benefit of having an education rooted in liberal arts and Quaker values is part of what makes our degree valuable in different ways than others. No one understands that better than the people who have done it before us.
Sharing information easily between current students and alumni is the key to unlock the door that builds connections and relationships. For students, taking the first step to approach alumni directly can be intimidating.
So what would it take to get in contact with an alum or two? The Alumni Office is armed with four staff members that are all Guilford alums. They understand the needs of students and care about the experiences and lives of all Guilfordians.
That being said, everyone can do more to make this connection stronger.
Alumni are constantly sharing their support for current students but in ways that are not easily visible to students. The future alums need to show their dedication to connecting with current alumni. The potential resources are truly endless if this potential bond is utilized.
Alums have the experience of finding positions after Guilford and navigating through the professional world. Connecting with them may lead to a job that would otherwise not have been found or being inspired to be an agent of change in the world.
Fellow students, so many others are steps ahead of us in life. It would be invaluable to make the effort to connect with them in order to benefit from all that there is on campus.
