The Advantages of Being a #LifelongLawrentian

Thanks to a host of opportunities both in and outside the classroom, Lawrentians are prepared for a wide range of career paths, from medicine to finance to the arts and more. But support from the School isn’t confined to the curriculum and doesn’t end at graduation. The School’s Alumni Office helps students see the possibilities, the Alumni Association actively seeks to forge connections between students and alumni, and alumni affinity groups provide networking opportunities beyond graduation.

Recognizing the value in this relationship, Student Council (StuCo) President Bryce Langdon ’24 prioritized it in his campaign platform last year. “The global community of Lawrentians offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with, learn from, and network with extremely accomplished individuals,” he noted. “What's striking to me is how willing alumni always are to offer any type of support to current students.”

StuCo partners with Lawrenceville’s Alumni Engagement team to bring alumni to campus in response to student interest, with programs varying from year to year. Programming ranges from alumni career panels to in-class discussions and from presentations at School Meetings to sessions with alumni affinity groups.

Earlier this year, an Alumni in the Arts Career Panel included alumni working in both the performing and visual arts, from performance to curation to arts management. Previous panels focused on STEM, Media/Entertainment, Law/Government, and Healthcare. In February, a panel of five Black alumni, including Lawrenceville’s first two Black students, shared their experiences at and after Lawrenceville with students and faculty at an all-School Meeting. More recently, a panel of Lawrenceville alumnae joined students for a conversation about women’s empowerment and gender equity.

The purpose of the StuCo partnership is to provide students with perspective on their own Lawrenceville experience and the opportunities available to them after graduation. The Alumni Association Executive Committee supports this effort through its Student Relations Subcommittee.

“More than anything, the biggest advantage of hearing from alumni is the opportunity to learn from someone who has gone through a similar experience as you and can relate to you on an entirely different level,” said Langdon.

At the college level, an annual series of college dinners, hosted by the Alumni Engagement team in partnership with Lawrenceville alumni who are also alumni of the college, keeps Lawrenceville’s youngest alumni connected with each other and the School. These dinners, held locally, provide a great opportunity for college students to network with fellow Lawrentians and broaden their personal and future career connections. The current year’s schedule includes events at Cornell, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Northwestern, Princeton, and Yale.

Additional networking opportunities bring together actively serving military and veterans, and Black, LatinX, and LGBTQ+ alumni, as well as Lawrenceville women. The Young Alumni Council offers graduates in the first 15 alumni classes early leadership opportunities within the global alumni population. Globally, regional alumni clubs bring Lawrentians together for social and School-focused events.

“We talk all the time about how House is like family, and how Lawrenceville is a tight-knit community,” said Langdon. “This extends to the alumni network, which can only be described as one large extended family.”

Just ask the 14,000 living alumni worldwide, whose paths still cross 50, 60, and even 70 years after graduation. The hashtag #LlifelongLawrentian says it all.

For additional information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.