On Monday, October 5, Columbia GS students filled Pulitzer Hall to meet with ten alumni from fields including law, psychology, software engineering, and marketing at the School’s alumni speed networking event. Hosted by the GS Office of Alumni Relations, the event gave students an opportunity to hear from alumni who have walked the same nontraditional path.
The event started at 6 p.m. with 20 minutes of open networking. Students then rotated through five 15-minute roundtables to sit down with different alumni and learn about their career paths and advice. The event closed with another stretch of open networking, after which many students stayed to continue their conversations and exchange information.
Organizers said the event was meant to kick off the academic year by bringing student and alumni communities together. Sarah Walker ‘95GS, who has served on the General Studies Alumni Association (GSAA) for eight years, said that the goal of the event was to spotlight the diverse paths open to GS students as they figure out what they want to do. Hearing from people in different fields gives students a chance to “get a taste of something that they hadn’t really thought of” and broaden their horizons, Walker said.
The format was also built around the realities of GS student life. Students come from diverse backgrounds; many work full time, are parents, or commute into the city, which can make scheduling events tricky, said Carolyn Bakich ‘25GS, a Leadership Gift Officer at GS. Events like this are meant to “take the pressure off for students, who are able to practice networking and getting to know someone in a professional field [they are] interested in,” she said.
The rotating table format allowed for students to hear from their peers and for alumni to meet each other. By the end of the night, many alumni had joined together to answer questions with their combined experience. Students asked about choosing a major, getting noticed by prospective employers, finding internships and deciding between graduate paths. Concerns over artificial intelligence and its impact on entry-level jobs came up often, with students wondering how to incorporate it into their plans or whether to pivot. Several students also talked about adjusting to life at Columbia, receiving advice from both fellow students and alumni.
Participating alumni included Brian Williams ‘25GS, who works at the intersection of defense and policy; Cameron Joyner ‘22GS, a software engineer; Cem Gultekin ‘19GS, head of capital markets at a bank; Daniel Burkhardt ‘18GS, who works in data strategy and information technology; Erik Campano ‘15GS, a journalist and researcher; Jill Krizelman ‘02GS, who leads TUMI’s global marketing; Laura Baruch ‘24GS, a clinical psychology researcher; Liz Beerman ‘98GS, who works in higher education; Matthew Kelly ‘92GS, an attorney; and Robbie LeDesma ‘14GS, a virologist.
General Studies Student Council (GSSC) Vice President of Campus Life Ben Kuleshov ‘27GS said the evening “gave me some new insight into what I might want to do with my major and my career.” Kuleshov said the council has built “a very successful mentoring program,” and that events like this one “are a really great way for GS specifically to connect with their community.”
While a rapidly evolving job market and a fast-approaching graduation can be intimidating, the event was a reminder of the doors open to GSers and the vast network of alumni who are eager to support the next generation of nontraditional students.
To learn more about networking events and opportunities with GS alumni, email [email protected]
