Whether you are sharing your career story and industry knowledge directly with students as a speaker or 1:1, hosting an internship, or posting a job for a fellow alum – your engagement makes an impact!
Student-Alumni Career Meet-Ups
Share your career story, industry knowledge, and connect virtually with students. You will be matched for brief 1-1 conversations (8-10 minutes in length) with up to 6 students in one hour.
Please register to attend any of the upcoming events that align with your experience and insight!
Alumni Career Chats
Alumni Career Chats provide an opportunity for alumni to meet with current St. Olaf students to support their career exploration and practice speaking with professionals in person.
What are Alumni Career Chats?
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- A brief 1-1 conversations between students and alumni, with a focus on sharing career insights and sparking connections between Oles.
- Alumni Career Chats will take place in-person at St. Olaf, hosted by the Piper Center for Vocation and Career in partnership with Alumni and Parent Relations.
- Who will you meet with? Students request meetings with alumni based on your brief bio, your professional role, major, or other details about your path or identity that resonate with their own interests.
- What will you discuss? You’ll discuss your career path, how you have navigated life after St. Olaf, share advice, and offer guidance. Students are prompted to come with questions. Students will vary a lot in terms of their comfort level with talking to an alum, asking questions, and in terms of their career exploration and goals – but this is great practice for them!
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Curious about what to expect and how to connect well with students? Take a quick look at these Tips for Ole Career Volunteers.
Fall 2025 Dates: Monday, November 3 through Friday, November 7.
Connections Programs
We’re bringing students to employers and cities in Minnesota and beyond. The Connections Program is designed to connect St. Olaf students with alumni, parents, and friends of the college who are affiliated with top employers of Ole graduates.
Do you work for an employer participating this year? OR do you work for an employer that hires Oles? Let us know here so we can include you! Please contact Bryan Shealer (shealer@stolaf.edu), Senior Associate Director of Employer and Alumni Relations.
October 20, 2025
October 20-21, 2026
January 15, 2026
February 1-4, 2026
March 14, 2026
March 16, 2026
April 20, 2026
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Job shadowing allows students to learn first-hand about the work setting and career paths, and to build professional connections in a field of interest.
Please be in touch if you may be able to offer job shadowing, or would like to discuss this possibility:
Volunteer to connect with Pre-Health Students for shadowing or similar opportunities.
- Healthcare Shadowing opportunities: Dana L Rechtzigel <rechtz1@stolaf.edu>
Job shadowing is most in demand in healthcare, but can be helpful in other settings as well. Please reach out to discuss this opportunity if you are open to providing it for students!
- General contact: Bryan Shealer <shealer@stolaf.edu>
Individual conversations can have a tremendous impact on students! Here are some of the ways St. Olaf alumni and students are connecting 1:1:
- Virtual Alumni-Student Speed Networking Events – see the full schedule of events and register above!
- Alumni Career Chats – 20 minute conversations between students and alumni are scheduled at various times throughout the academic year. If you would like to consider connecting with students on campus or virtually please express interest via link above.
- Job Shadowing Opportunities, particularly in Health & Law career fields – students need to gain experience in the field to help shape their path and to prepare to apply for further education.
- Healthcare Shadowing opportunities: Dana L Rechtzigel <rechtz1@stolaf.edu>
- Law-related Shadowing opportunities: Leslie Moore <moore1@stolaf.edu>
- General contact: Bryan Shealer <shealer@stolaf.edu>
- Assist an Entrepreneur – Support entrepreneurially minded students by providing feedback and mentoring students prior to the the Ole Cup pitch competition. Contact: Meghan McMillan <mcmill2@stolaf.edu>
- Individually arranged 1:1 conversations – Students and alumni often reach out to one another directly, by referral or via LinkedIn. Thank you for supporting Oles who reach out to you! Lending insight or sharing resources, and connecting with individuals to the extent that you’re able to at any given time you help shape the career paths of students and fellow alumni!
Contact: Bryan Shealer (shealer@stolaf.edu), Senior Associate Director, Employer and Alumni Relations
Share your career and industry knowledge with students. In a facilitated format, panelists share their career path, and provide advice based on their industry, occupation, educational path, and/or lived experience. Various career topics are explored each year.
Various in-person and virtual alumni panels take place each academic year. Panels are curated with the intention of representing a broad range of viewpoints in terms of industry area, alumni identity, educational path, and other characteristics. If you are interested in serving on a future alumni panel, please be in touch!
Interested? Contact: Bryan Shealer
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