From April 11–13, Lawrence hosted the annual celebration “Forever a Lawrentian.” The three-day event series commemorated and highlighted university alumni and offered an opportunity for current students to connect with them.
“I [hope] students will take away not only a better appreciation for what it means to be a Lawrentian, but also that students understand the importance of networking,” remarked junior Bruna Velez, who was in charge of promoting the event on social media. “Eighty percent of jobs are found through networking.”
The Lawrence University Alumni Association (LUAA), the organization in charge of organizing “Forever a Lawrentian,” hosted a variety of events. On Thursday, April 11, a showcase for jobs and internships focused on the Nonprofit, Education and Social Impact career community was held in Warch Campus Center. Students were given bingo cards upon their arrival; once completed, they would be entered into a raffle for prizes. Organizations such as the Appleton Public Library, Goodwill and Harbor House were present.
Also on April 11, a Career Chat was held, which focused on sexual violence advocacy and compliance in the workplace. It was led by Director of Equity and Title IX Coordinator Sara Holtzman and Maggie Schmidt ‘12, who now works as an attorney at the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. department of Education. Later in the day, a Young Athletics panel was held.
On Friday, April 12, a Spin-the-Wheel opportunity was held outside of Warch. Later that day, LUAA held a networking presentation, where students who attended could receive free professional headshots. The night ended with a celebration for seniors hosted in the Viking Room.
On Saturday, April 13, the LUAA Board of Directors and local alumni provided an opportunity for students to eat lunch and connect with them.
“The sit-and-chat event is more relaxed — students are able to come in and out as they please,” Velez stated. “There’s food available, and all the alumni are grouped based on their career community, so you can really target those you really want to talk to.”
Additionally, two alumni Q&A panels were held. One panel was targeted for students of color and was moderated by co-founder of the Sankofa House and founder of All Is One (AIO) Brienne Colston ‘15. At the same time, another panel was held in Shattuck, featuring Conservatory alumni.