Upper Schoolers participated in “Life After Latin” on April 19, meeting with Latin alumni to learn about a wide range of careers.
“This year was the first year we were able to do it in a hybrid model,” Director of Alumni Programming Teresa Sutter said. Thanks to this development, alumni from around the country and even the world could attend. In total, 41 alumni participated in the event—two Zoomed in from California, one from Colorado, and one from London.
“One of the reasons we started the program was to give students the opportunity to see a wide range of jobs and understand that alumni are willing to help them down the road,” Director of Alumni Engagement Stephanie Chu explained.
An aspect of the assembly that may have flown by many students is the “Roman, Friends and Countrymen” videos, which can be found on Latin’s YouTube channel and Instagram page.
Each video is about one of the alumni at the assembly, and a new one comes out approximately once each month. “My favorite thing about these videos is asking alumni what they wanted to do, and what they are doing now,” Ms. Sutter said, adding, “I like to see how they change and grow into their career or maybe onto a completely different path.”
For those Latin students thinking, “But I have no idea what I want to do yet, please help me,” fear not. Ms. Sutter has words of reassurance: “Often, people aren’t sure what they want to do in high school, and that’s okay.”
Junior Max Liss said of a panel he attended, “One guy changed careers like three times.”
Students gained exposure to a wide variety of jobs, including those in STEM, business, hotel management, the arts, and even aviation. The session on aviation proved to be one of the most popular this year as it featured alumnus Eric Weber ‘83, who served in the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel and was the combat pilot for five different planes. He has flown missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Freshman Henry Norton said, “I have an interest in aviation, specifically aerospace engineering, so I really enjoyed it and learned something, too. … I found it interesting to see how he has gone through his life.”
The Latin community responded positively to Life After Latin. Junior Cesca Campise said, “I liked the speaker and learned a lot about psychiatry and the many ways it can operate.” On top of this, she said, “I learned that therapy is not limited to a room.”
After the assembly, many students said they had gained a deeper understanding of the doors open to those at Latin. Freshman Mel Butler said, “I think Alumni Day is a great opportunity for students to see the possibilities after Latin and that Latin gives you the resources to reach for success.”