Imagine if Loyola students did not have to wait for their major’s department to plan and facilitate an event to talk to alumni. Imagine a network where you had the opportunity to find and connect with alumni through a readily available network where students could reach out, ask questions, and build connections anytime. Picture a sophomore, finally settling into their major and becoming ready to explore career paths, unsure of where to start. They take to LinkedIn but come up short on finding alumni. Now, the same student is opening a Loyola-made alumni network, filtering by major, state, interests, and instantly finding alumni who are willing to help students. That’s the kind of system that creates community, and it’s the kind of system alumni and students deserve.
Right now, Loyola makes some effort to bring alumni to campus for the occasional event, but that’s not enough. Still, it seems as if you go out of your way to search “Loyola Alumni” on Google, in hopes you could reach out to someone. Whether it be for school or job advice, the only thing that comes up is events Loyola holds for fundraising or class reunions. There is a section where you learn about certain alumni and what they did after graduation but it takes some digging. Yes, you could go on LinkedIn, but at that point, it feels impersonal. What current students and alumni need is an in-person community to gain those connections.
The issue here is that Loyola has an amazing group of alumni who are in great fields of work for all sorts of majors, and yet, they do not utilize these alumni to their full potential to help out their current students. Alumni mentorship is priceless. They’ve already walked the path students are on, faced the same challenges, and learned from both successes and mistakes. Alumni can share their learned knowledge with current students who are looking for reliable guidance. You feel more connected to what your mentors are saying when they were once exactly where you are. We also cannot forget the networking opportunities that can be gained through mentorship.
It is not just about current students. There are Loyola alumni out there who would be more than willing to talk to and help out current students and help them grow and thrive in their future endeavors. Loyola prides itself on its Jesuit values of connection, service, and solidarity. What better way to live those values than by building a real bridge between alumni and students? Creating this sense of community and giving back is not just about current students, either; it’s also a way for alumni to stay connected. In serving others, they continue to grow and learn from Loyola and its community, as well as staying grounded in their values. Connecting their past and present students creates a sense of loyalty that would serve to be important in their students’ lives. Engaging with alumni gives graduates a reason to come back and serve their community in a way that would inspire others.
Loyola knows they have great alumni, which is why they have a section dedicated to them on their website. From here, the next step is making the system more user-friendly and, with permission, allowing access to alumni emails so current students, or even prospective ones, can reach out directly. Because, as of right now, the “alumni” section on the Loyola website is seemingly only for alumni. If Loyola truly wants to live up to its Jesuit values, it must invest in building a genuine student and alumni network; it should go beyond fundraising links and alumni spotlights. It’s not just about helping out financially or hearing great things through a website; it’s about fostering real connections in meaningful ways.
