The Boston College Alumni Association barely registers in the minds of most undergraduates, but it's time it did - especially for seniors.
In order to keep BC graduates across the country tied to their alma mater, the Alumni Association has created several programs focused on networking and service learning. GOLD (Graduates of the Last Decade) events have grown increasingly popular, bringing recent graduates back into the fold and encouraging a continuous commitment to BC.
Forty regional alumni chapters throughout the U.S. sponsor social events and game watches to unite former Eagles through recreation, but new grads often forget another useful tool they provide - networking opportunities. The New York City chapter, for example, hosts a Welcome to New York Networking Night and Young Professional Networking Event.
And last week, the BC Alumni Media Network held its first event, a panel discussion on the growing impact of technology on the media. Google's Christopher Woods, BC '93, moderated the discussion, and Google's Christopher Theodoros, BC '83, and Marta Tracy, formerly of Sony Pictures Television and BC '77, were among the featured panelists.
You don't have to wait until graduation to learn from successful alumni, though. The Alumni Career Network, accessible on Agora under "Career Services," allows you to search for BC graduates nationwide who work in a variety of industries and have volunteered to advise other members of the BC community.
There are 9,542 active advisors in the system, so chances are you'll find someone who can help you.
Erica Rosenthal, assistant director for classes at the Alumni Association, encourages BC alumni and soon-to-be graduates to update their contact information online in order to get the most benefits.
"The Alumni Online Community is sort of like a social network. We just revamped it, so every person who's in the alumni community has their own profile," she said. "The benefit is that you can find other alumni's contact information, and you can network career-wise. That's why it's really vital for people to keep their information updated."
While the benefits of networking are obvious, the Alumni Association also aims to keep BC's Jesuit tradition alive by focusing not just on careers but on educating the whole person.
Spirituality and service programs abound, including service and immersion trips to New Orleans, Jamaica, and El Salvador. The New Orleans trip alone will send 38 BC alums to the Gulf Coast for Hurricane Katrina relief in January; a whopping 50 others are on a waiting list.
"The focus is to create things that were popular for students," Rosenthal said, "and bring them to alumni."
Shawna Gallagher Vega is a contributing columnist for The Heights. She welcomes comments at features@bcheights.
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