The month of May brings forth anticipation for graduation and excitement toward transferring, yet students could struggle with understanding how and what to do after.
Pierce College could benefit from hosting regular alumni panels to share their experiences at Pierce as well as the process they took to transfer for the prospective students.
While the Transfer Center has hosted alumni panels, they could be held once or twice a month each semester to make sure that as many students as possible are encouraged to transfer.
The panel can include discussions circulating decisions on schools, moving out and finance tips and how to network.
According to the University of South Florida College of Public Health, an alumni panel was held to help establish and develop networking techniques for students to learn more about their major.
College of Public Health Director of Experiential Learning Kristen Moretto said these events are important to students because they “offer free professional development, career advice and networking opportunities in which students will not have easy access to after graduation.”
According to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Blou Blog, alumni panels also allow students to ask how to approach large and small scale projects and what difficulties the alumni have faced when entering their career.
Prospective students discussing these topics with those who have already experienced it can feel confident in their decisions and inspired to continue pursuing their career.
Besides advice, alumni panels can encourage prospective students to engage more within their college community.
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Center for First-Generation Student Success said an invested alumni base is a significant factor for any program.
The center also said that alumni are “great at giving you that outsider perspective of how prepared they felt after college and what additional information would have been helpful as they encountered ‘real life’ experiences.”
The inclusion of alumni panels at Pierce would not only encourage students to attend more events on and off campus but also prepare the students in transitioning from Pierce to their next destination.
