Elisa Douglas has always been committed to making a difference.
One of the main reasons she chose to attend St. John’s University
was her appreciation of the Vincentian mission of service that sets
St. John’s apart from other colleges and universities.
“I came to St. John’s because I wanted an experience where I would
be able to reach out to others,” she recalled. “I got involved in
Campus Ministry as a mentor and tutor, and really increased my
community service once I joined a sorority. The idea of helping
people meant a lot to me then, and it still does. I try to do
at least one community service project every quarter, because I
believe that if I want to make any changes for the better, those
changes have to start with me.”
Douglas’ major responsibilities are twofold. In addition to
interacting with recent graduates and helping to create programs to
keep them connected to each other and to the University, she works
to unite current students with alumni for networking initiatives
and other activities that prepare students for their future
careers. “The students relate extremely well to our younger
alumni,” she said, “because they’re close in age and the students
know that these recent graduates were students themselves just a
few years ago. The students want to know what it’s going to
be like for them a year or two out in the workforce, and our young
alumni can give them that information.”
She believes that staying connected to alma mater is important to
all alumni, especially those who have recently graduated. “The
University has a number of career services and other benefits
available to help our alumni, especially those just starting their
careers. In turn, these alumni can serve as role models to
the students as they plan for their own careers
Douglas was part of a variety of alumni initiatives even before her
graduation. Beginning with the last semester of her senior year,
she worked at the University’s Customer Call Center, reaching out
to alumni and informing them of events taking place at St.
John’s. From there she accepted a position as Graduate
Program Marketing Coordinator for Kaplan Educational Services,
working with students from colleges and universities in the New
York metropolitan area. Although she greatly enjoyed making a
difference in the lives of the young people she met, when she had
an opportunity to return to St. John’s in August, 2008 she didn’t
need to think twice.
She is pleased that her professional responsibilities allow her to
combine what she refers to as “…the best of both worlds. As a
young alumna myself, working with other recent graduates is like
seeing old friends. They all seem like family because I can relate
to their experiences and they can relate to mine. I also love
working with the students as much as I do. I’m very passionate
about education, and I love the idea that I’m helping to prepare
students for their future. I know that the students appreciate it,
and at the end of the day, that makes me feel really good.”
Douglas believes that the transition of young people from students
to alumni is a process of evolution rather than a distinct line of
demarcation between one stage and another.
She speaks as a representative of the Office of Alumni Relations at
new student orientations, sharing her own experiences to document
her change from student to alumna to professional staff member. “I
want to make our office so known to the students that they see it
as home to them right from the start. I want them to know that they
can come to us when they need something, first as students and
later as alumni. If everyone in the St. John’s community comes to
realize that the Office of Alumni Relations is really about
bringing the University family together, we’ll have done a good
job. Alumni relations doesn’t start at graduation, it begins when a
student first comes to campus. If I can do something to make that
happen, I’ll be proud to have that as my legacy.”