Sophia Stil ’23 earned a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and psychology at the University of Mary Washington before beginning graduate studies in human-computer interaction. But the interactions she’s still talking about are the ones she had through Network MaryWash.
“I’m proud of how passionate our alumni are about supporting students,” said Sophia, who received tips on improving her résumé, which she hopes will help land her a user experience (UX) internship in New York City. “The website has played a significant role in my post-college endeavors.”
Launched last fall by UMW’s Office of Alumni Engagement, Network MaryWash connects students and grads seeking advice on careers, internships, and graduate school with alumni already working in the field. The initiative is integral to Life After Mary Washington, the University’s Quality Enhancement Plan, which supports students with the transition from academia to professional life. The platform also complements resources that prepare students to enter the workforce provided by the Center for Career and Professional Development.
“Applying for internships and jobs without a network is the hardest way to get hired,” Colette Strawn Johnson ’97 told Sophia. Working in data analytics for an educational nonprofit, Colette offered to introduce her to a UX designer on her team.
A Mary Washington alum helped Colette find her first job after college, and now she does the same for UMW students. Serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, she leads the Career Connections committee, which arranges professional headshots for juniors and seniors, plans speed networking events, and invites alumni back to campus – such as Major League Baseball executive Jin Wong ’97, who visited in January – to speak about their careers.
“At each event, we’re talking up Network MaryWash,” said Colette, who worked with Executive Director of Alumni Engagement Mark Thaden ’02 to implement the Protopia platform. The company has produced websites for the University of Pittsburgh, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Virginia Commonwealth, Duke, Northwestern, and Florida State universities.
Student or alumni users begin by entering information about themselves through a series of prompts. For example, Colette said, a recent grad might say, “I earned a political science degree and want to work in state government in Richmond.”
Using a custom algorithm, the platform combs through public LinkedIn and other online profiles of Mary Washington’s 42,000-plus alumni base, contacting the most relevant matches based on background, occupation, and college major. After receiving an email, alumni have three days to respond before another search is conducted.
Alumni are encouraged to update their contact information at UMW and check their email regularly, said Colette, who is copied on emails to ensure that all users get a response. “We want everyone to have a positive interaction with the application.”
Katherine Lauderbaugh ’24, who earned her bachelor’s degree in physics on Saturday, is considering graduate school after emailing with Cliff Hazelton ’01. “Talking to someone who has done different things with a physics degree showed me that I’m not required to stay in the box.”
When a historic preservation major asked Heather Muir ’92 for help finding an internship, the middle school art teacher suggested exploring the Virginia Association of Museums database.
“As experts in our field, we love to talk about what we do and how we got there,” said Dr. Charles Gullo ’91, an immunologist, who encouraged Raesa Zia ’23 to investigate her interest in academic research.
“It was reassuring to hear that his path wasn’t set in stone,” said Raesa, who majored in chemistry and will begin a master’s degree in microbiology and immunology at VCU this fall. “I also enjoyed learning about another alum’s journey and accomplishments in science.”
Explore Network MaryWash. Watch the video below to learn more.
– Article by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04
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