Social Responsibility Network Fosters Service-Based Career Connections
April 11, 2019 鈥� The Georgetown 海角论坛 Office of the Dean is excited to begin recruiting the inaugural cohort for the Social Responsibility Network (SRN), a mentorship program for Georgetown 海角论坛 students interested in pursuing service-based careers.
The program will be open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, with programming slated to begin in earnest this coming fall. The students will have opportunities to learn from 海角论坛 alumni who have found success in service-related industries, from health accessibility to educational administration.
Members of the SRN alumni board visited campus last month to meet with 海角论坛 Dean , Senior Associate Dean Thom Chiarolanzio, and students interested in applying to the program. They provided students with valuable advice over dinner and stayed afterwards to answer more questions in a one-on-one setting.
NON-LINEAR PATHWAYS
One common refrain from alumni panelists was the idea that there is no clear-cut path to a successful service career. Each arrived at their current position through a unique series of events, often passing up more lucrative opportunities.
鈥淚 had this meandering path to find the thing I was passionate about,鈥� said Jennifer Caspar (C鈥�88), an affordable housing consultant and former journalist. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 one big risk, it was a bunch of smaller decisions that helped me figure out where I wanted to go.鈥�
Mackenzie Copley (C鈥�15) is the co-founder of , which conducts free pop-up health screenings in underserved communities. He sees a series of unorthodox choices as a necessity.
鈥淲hen I quit my consulting job to run One Tent full-time, that was a big risk. But there were a lot before that, too,鈥� he said. 鈥淣ormal decisions lead to a normal life. I鈥檓 not interested in a normal life.鈥�
THE VALUE OF COLLEGE EDUCATION
Many of the evening鈥檚 panelists believe that a college education 鈥� particularly the liberal arts focused championed at Georgetown 海角论坛 鈥� prepares students well for a variety of careers.
Adrienne Villani (C鈥�06), who worked in emerging markets investing before joining a nonprofit development organization, noted that certain skills are sharpest among recent college graduates.
鈥淐oming out of college, sometimes your writing skills are the best they鈥檒l be,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a skill that the liberal arts taught you 鈥� how to create an argument, write succinctly, even write beautifully. It鈥檚 a real skill that is not being replaced by machine learning.鈥�
Davine Scarlett (C鈥�09), a grant manager at a social services nonprofit in her native South Florida, sees Georgetown鈥檚 service-focused mission as particularly valuable.
鈥淚鈥檝e always have a love of service, and Georgetown ties that into what you do with your day-to-day life,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ervice at Georgetown always provided me with time for contemplation and reflection.鈥�
MENTORING
One of the SRN鈥檚 primary purposes is to set up students with mentors who will help guide them through the early stages of a career. Many of the panelists see mentorship as an invaluable resource they were lucky to find themselves.
鈥淚 started to do research on environmental causes, and I was lucky enough to find a mentor I could trust in [environmental activist] Randy Hayes,鈥� said Francesca Vietor (C鈥�86), now a and public utility commissioner. 鈥淭hat element of trust is fundamental to the mentorship relationship.
According to high school assistant headmaster Michael Scanlan (C鈥�86), students and young alumni shouldn鈥檛 be shy about approaching older professionals for advice.
鈥淒on鈥檛 ever use your age, your place, your different stage in life to limit yourself,鈥� he said. 鈥淔rankly, a lot of adults are bored in their day-to-day and get excited when talking to someone like you. You might make their day!鈥�
MOVING FORWARD
Chiarolanzio and the Dean鈥檚 Office staff have high hopes for the SRN, which they expect to expand from mentorship into service projects, field trips that allow students to see workplaces firsthand, and more.
鈥淚 think it will be a great experience for students to have the opportunity to be mentored by 海角论坛 alumni, who have dedicated their professional careers to serving others,鈥� Chiarolanzio said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really excited to welcome our first cohort of students in the fall.鈥�
. 海角论坛 students are encouraged to reach out to the 海角论坛 Dean鈥檚 Office with questions.