Alums Are Your Best Friends

Carls Support Carls

“Carls care about Carls.” “Carls help Carls.” Variations of this sentiment are popular among current students and alumni alike. It is certainly a feeling that Carls hold onto long past graduation.

One of the great perks of attending a tight-knit institution like Carleton is our vast alumni network. So many Carls before me have gone on to do really cool, remarkable things. It’s awesome that these same people are looking out for the newest generations of Carls too.

The Alumni Network

Carleton’s alumni network is a resource for all Carls to take advantage of. The alumni I have met and reached out to have all been incredibly friendly and compassionate. As I wrote in my previous blog post about my winter break internship (through Carleton’s Externship program), my internship host was a Carleton graduate of ‘96. She helped me make the most of the experience and served as a mentor. Now, she is a person I can list as a reference on an application and someone from whom I can seek advice.

Fresh off of my winter break internship I began to explore the alumni directory. Thanks to the huge network of people listed in the alumni directory, I reached out to Carleton graduates doing the work I am interested in. All of the alums that I reached out to responded to me, and I found that they were more than willing to help. Their enthusiasm and availability enabled me to schedule informational interviews with them and learn about their career trajectories. Thus, networking with alums not only provided valuable connections, but also gave me the opportunity to get to know some fantastic people who generously gave me their time and wisdom. The cherry on top? I secured interviews and internship offers through these alumni.

The TL;DR?

Alums are awesome. Alums are your best friends. A Carleton education prepared them to do amazing things. Alums want to help current Carls do amazing things. So if you join our family at Carleton, you will find a greater community that will be excited to welcome you and take care of you!

Kai is a sophomore from Charlottesville, VA, who probably spends too much time enjoying meals (and desserts) with friends in the dining halls. He is a prospective double major in Political Science and Psychology, potential Public Policy Minor as well. He loves volunteering for Project Friendship, playing piano at the Weitz, hanging out at Sayles, taking walks around the Lakes or in the Arb, and pitching/playing infield for the baseball team. Meet the other bloggers!