Connect the Dots event brings alumni to reconnect students

Abbey Haldeman, Staff Writer

For the past five years the office of alumni relations, student alumni association and the career service office have worked together to put together the “Connect the Dots” event.  The event allows for student alumni networking.
Coordinators invite somewhere between 25-30 alumni with diverse degrees from various graduate years and ask them to casually talk to students at Wilkes about their careers and the opportunities they suggest the students take advantage of during their career at Wilkes. It gives students the opportunity to ask questions to those who have graduated in their field of interest, or even ones they have not given much thought too.
“Most alumni will say that one thing they wished they would have done more of was network while they were in school,” Associate Director of alumni relations Bridget Giunta said.
The alumni relations office invites the alumni from their own information and also influences from professors of different fields.  Students are encouraged to come out to the event by the advertisements —dots placed around the Student Union Building— as well as through faculty and staff.
In the past the alumni present have had degrees ranging from education to communications, accounting and business administration management. The possibilities to learn about different fields are endless. Students need to take this opportunity to allow themselves to open up to suggestion made by the alumni.
Mary Simmons, coordinator of alumni relations said, “it is important for students to know it is not an internship fair.”
“Connect the Dots” is being held in the ballroom of the Student Union Building at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9.  The first 100 students to enter the event will be given a free t-shirt.  Every student who enters gets a sheet of paper in which they are asked to have three alumni’s sign.  The students will then hand in their sheet of paper for a drawing with a Barnes and Noble gift card as the prize.
So come in your casual dress attire and get to know those who used to walk in your shoes.  Get to know your field of study better, by talking to someone with personal field experience. It is available to all students, so go out and “connect the dots.”