When interviewing for my position as the director of alumni relations, I was asked a simple question. “What makes you the best candidate for this position?” My response wasn’t my previous work with alumni, my relationship building skills or my communication skills, even though I was confident in those areas. It was my experience with students. As a teacher and advisor I witnessed the impact that alumni support has on the success of students many times. Even the smallest act of support can change the course of a student’s career. It’s amazing to see a student suddenly discover her passion after listening to an alumnus speak in a class, or the relief on a student’s face when he receives a scholarship that allows him to focus on class instead of work. It’s incredibly fulfilling to see a student receive a dream internship or job offer from an alumna. Now that I’m working with alumni in LAS, I know that I have found my own dream job. The dedicated faculty and staff in the College play a central role in student success, but it’s an area where all of us as alumni have the opportunity to contribute.
Even the smallest act of support can change the course of a student’s career.I want to offer you a way to help students succeed. There are many ways to lend your support. Big or small, it all makes an impact. To those of you who are already giving back, thank you. If you would like to explore how to get involved, I’d like to talk to you. I also invite you to share your story of how an alum helped you or how you are giving back as an alum. We hope to share some of these stories in future issues of Link. Your support helps to ensure that our students are benefiting from a College that is a world-class learning and research community with a supportive education environment. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Kim McDonough Director of Alumni Relations (Journalism and Mass Communication, B.S. ‘02, M.S. ‘04) kmm@iastate.edu 515-294-7487