Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/1001060
Raise your hand if, in high school, you knew what you wanted to pursue as a career. What? You weren't sure? Actually, that's pretty typical for a high schooler, according to Stephanie Chu, director of alumni relations. "Students think they need to know what they want to do, and there is a lot of pressure on them to know," said Chu. "ey are either anxious because they don't know what they want to do or they know what they would like to study but not how those subjects and skills translate in the work world." Recognizing student need early in her career at Latin, Chu created the Life After Latin program as a way to help students explore careers while also connecting them with alumni. e program is typically composed of 17 panels, loosely based on industry. For example, this year students could explore entrepreneurship, technology and engineering, privacy and employment law, real estate sales and development, brand management and marketing, or neuroscience and veterinary medicine, just to name a few. Students give their preference for four of the panels, with seniors being given priority for their top picks. Each panel has between 10 and 35 students, two alumni speakers and a faculty moderator who keeps the conversations owing, on track and on time. e primary goal of the program is to provide students with an insider's look at various jobs. Student delve into the nitty gritty of what it means to be a VP of operations or a director of client engagement, including the day-to-day tasks, from the exceptional to the more mundane. "e panelists talk about what they do with their time, who they interact with and what skills they need for their job," said Chu. Additionally, Chu aims to show students that careers paths do not always follow a straight line. "Often there is this misperception that people choose what they want to be at some point in their young life, probably during college, and that it's a straight line from point A to point B." As adults, we all know that many factors can alter career plans, including a college class that is unexpectedly interesting or meeting someone who changes your worldview, not to mention luck and serendipity. Kelly Newton '00, understands this all too well. Newton, who studied engineering in college, admits she struggled with the multitude of career options. "At Latin, I liked math and science. I understood what I should study but not how I would apply the things I liked to a career." During internships as an engineer, she learned that data-driven problem-solving was what she liked most, as well as working with clients to solve those problems. e focus on project-based work enabled her to learn new skills regardless of career step, something important to this self-described life-long learner. Newton is now a partner and managing director of the Boston Consulting Group, where she specializes in business transformations for industrial goods clients. Her experience navigating to her current career shaped her desire to lead the Alumni Outreach committee that came up with the idea and spearheads the Life After Latin event each year. Chu credits Newton with guiding the program to its current format and overseeing the recruiting of alumni in the early years. On a sunny day this spring, Latin's upper school was teeming with engineers, marketers, consultants, entrepreneurs and neuroscientists. ese weren't visiting parents, but alumni returning to school to talk with students about their careers as part of Latin's Life After Latin program. Now in its sixth year, both students and alumni look forward to making connections that are mutually inspirational. 35 LATIN MAGAZINE SUMMER 2018 35