Learning from Alums

Tabor’s Advancement Office recently launched the Professional Learning Series, a new program designed to engage alumni with current Tabor students. The program, largely a result of alumni interest and Mr. Jaccaci’s recommendations, encourages alumni to re-engage with the school in a way that benefits both alumni and students.  

The professional learning series will eventually have three levels. The first level invites alumni to share their career journeys and offers Q&A sessions to students. The purpose of introducing surface-level interactions is to expose students to different professions, pique student interest, and help them discover potential pathways after departing Tabor. The second level is considered a shallow dive, giving students the opportunity to get a closer look at different professions by shadowing alumni for 1–5 days. Finally, the third level—a deep dive—engages alumni and students at the highest level through 4–8-week internships.  During school breaks, students would intern with alumni, gaining real-world work experience. The goal of the program is to help students, especially juniors and seniors, build a larger network through practical alumni engagement. Through the learning series, students are given the opportunity to meet Tabor alumni and develop connections that would be beneficial later in students’ careers.  

The Advancement Office also contemplated opening the program up to younger alumni, such as those currently in college and recently graduated, to give students a better idea of student experiences right after graduation. Moreover, the program is designed to stress the idea that a majority of Tabor graduates’ paths are not linear. Alumni speakers are encouraged to reflect on and emphasize the idea that no one’s path is straightforward. Tabor is ultimately looking for a variety of speakers with a willingness to share their experiences. After announcing the program, the Advancement Office received several requests for speakers involved in business and economics, as well as for speakers across various fields.  

Meetings are currently scheduled every Thursday at either 1:00, 1:30, or 8:00 pm. Depending on the time, meetings will either be in-person or on zoom. The Advancement Office has five alums lined up to speak and scheduled meetings every week up until graduation. Matt Schiff ’85 was the program’s first speaker on Thursday, April 10. Mr. Schiff spoke about his experience working in the insurance industry. His presentation covered topics such as saving for retirement, building credit, making smart investments, having emergency funds, and managing debt wisely.  The early afternoon meeting coincided with the third block of the day, preventing many students from attending. The hope is that future meetings will be scheduled at times when more students are available to participate.  

While Tabor has always valued its alumni connections, the Advancement Office has never facilitated a program that is this in-depth. Student career interests will shape the program, but its core purpose will remain unchanged: to foster continued collaboration between current students and alumni.