Alumni Offer Exclusive Insight

January 26, 2011 - January 31, 2011 12:00 PM

We invite our alumni to become a part of the Alumni Insider’s View…Program, a great way to help students make the most of all that St. John’s has to offer and get a head start on a rewarding career after graduation.

Last fall, over 800 students attended at least one of 24 AIV events. They benefitted from the personal expertise of over 150 alumni who are committed to helping them succeed in college and develop the skills necessary to begin a rewarding career after graduation.

This spring, it can be your turn to become a part of these very special programs.

“The Alumni Insider’s View…Programs are great opportunities for both our students and alumni to benefit from interacting with each other,” said Victor Ramos ’91CBA, ’93MBA, Associate Vice President, Division of Institutional Advancement. “From the students’ point of view, they’re mentored by some of our most successful and committed alumni, and the information and guidance that they receive is really priceless. On the other side, the alumni get to meet bright students with a great work ethic who are eager to do whatever is necessary to succeed in college and in their future careers. Those are the students they’ll keep in mind when they’re looking to hire new employees for their own firms. These programs are a win-win for everyone.”

While the majority of AIV programs were held on the Queens and Staten Island campuses, there were a few in which students traveled to interesting off-campus locations for one-of-a-kind real world experiences.

At the 30th Annual AIV…U.S. Capital program, students participated in panel discussions and were taken on exclusive tours of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Capitol. The AIV…Day on Wall Street brought students to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and included a visit to Standard and Poor’s and the vault of the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation.

To encourage student feedback and foster all-important student to student communication, we introduced myAIV, in which Student Insiders share their videos on Facebook and Twitter.

Many alumni were eager to participate in AIV because it was a new, different and very personal way for them to give back to the University. They were happy to offer current students information and resources that were unavailable during their own time on campus, and saw their involvement as an excellent way to foster student success.

“When I was a student, I had the help of professors, but not as much help from alumni who had recently graduated,” recalled Lisa Dixon ’07C “It’s the alumni who can best help current students figure out what is involved after you graduate, what’s available to you and what paths you can take.”

Read complete story