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!
Review current opportunities to be a career volunteer below.
Not sure where you might fit? Demonstrate interest in supporting the career exploration of students here:
Alumni Career Volunteer Interest Form
Alumni Student Career Chats (On-Campus)
Alumni Student 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.
Fall 2026 Dates:
Monday, November 2 through Friday, November 6, 2026
(Morning and afternoon time blocks.)
What are Alumni-Student Career Chats?
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- Brief conversations between 1-3 students and one alumna/us, with a focus on sharing career insights and sparking connections between Oles.
- Alumni-Student 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!
- Can all alumni participate? While we seek to include all alumni volunteers in this program, certain nuanced career or industry areas may not elicit a strong connection to students at their stage of career exploration. As such, we may reach out to suggest a different program or career volunteer opportunity.
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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.
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 or complete the Alumni Career Volunteer Interest Form.
In partnership with the History and Art Departments students will explore museum spaces and connect with alumni to deepen their understanding of careers in museums and public history venues.
Connected Classes: Practicum in Museums, Intro to Public History
In partnership with the Psychology and Business Departments students will explore the connection of psychology to world of work by connecting with St. Olaf alumni and employers working in the fields of HR and Industrial-Organizational Psychology.
Connected Classes: Industrial-Organizational Psychology
New York Connections is a career exploration trek and city immersion program to explore career paths and opportunities in the field of finance and banking. Students will visit employers and connect with alumni working in finance.
Connected Classes/Programs: Corporate Finance, Finance Emphasis, and Finance Fast Track
Students attending the Government and Nonprofit Career Fair will connect with alumni in a special panel and networking event.
In partnership with the Business and Management Studies Department students will explore the wide variety of career paths in business by connecting with St. Olaf alumni working at a large-scale employer.
Connected Classes: Fundamentals of Business, Organizational Storytelling, Business Career Compass, and Business Modeling in Excel.
In partnership with the Chemistry Department students will explore the ways that students can connect their chemistry major to careers in food science.
In partnership with the Physics and Engineering Departments, students will connect with St. Olaf alumni to explore career pathways in engineering.
Connected classes: Introduction to Engineering Design, Computer-Aided Engineering
In partnership with the Business Department, English Department, and St. Olaf Marketing and Communications Department, students will explore careers in communications by connecting with St. Olaf alumni and visiting employers working in the industry.
Connected Classes/Programs: Organizational Storytelling, Professional and Business Writing, and Marketing, Advertising & Digital Design (MADD).
In partnership with the English Department students will explore careers in editing and publish by connecting with St. Olaf alumni and visiting employers in the field.
Connected Classes/Programs: Exploring Literary Publishing, Journalism & Daily Newswriting
Students will explore the diverse array of career pathways in healthcare through a day-long career immersion at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Students will choose various clinical and administrative tracks to connect with relevant alumni and experience world-class facilities.
Connected classes/programs: Healthcare Economics, Business of Healthcare, Pre-Health
Alumni Career Panels
Career panels offer alumni an opportunity to share their career story and expertise in a wide variety of industries and functional roles. Alumni career panels helps students
- Explore what is possible in the world of work.
- Connect their interests and strengths to roles and industries.
- Gain valuable insights and advice from alumni who have gone before them.
- Build connections to support their career goals.
Career Panels for 2026-2027:
- Arts & Museums
- Biology Careers
- Business of Sports
- Computer Science Careers
- Computer Science Grad School Pathways
- Data Science & Statistics Careers
- Data Science & Statistics Grad School Pathways
- Education Roundtables (on-campus)
- Environmental Careers
- I Want To Help People
- Math Careers
- Math Grad School Pathways
- Nursing
- Ole Entrepreneurs Pitch Practice
- Pre-Law Students and Law Students
- Psychology Careers
- Public Health
Demonstrate interest in joining a career panel here:
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 and connections can have a tremendous impact on students! Here are some other ways St. Olaf alumni are supporting students:
- Job Shadowing Opportunities (particularly in health & law career fields) – shadowing provides students with direct observation in the world of work to support their career discernment or fulfill important pre-requisites for graduate schools.
- 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. 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
While not always possible, on occasion professors may invite speakers into their classroom to share practical knowledge and industry expertise with students.
What makes a good classroom speaker? Students often relate more with early or mid-career professionals. More late-career or retired alumni are often a better fit for curated 1:1 connections with students who have more strategic, defined career goals.
Alumni can also support certain classes by offering projects or short-term experiences.
Interested in exploring possibilities? Contact: Bryan Shealer (shealer@stolaf.edu), Senior Associate Director, Employer and Alumni Relations
Bryan T Shealer (he, him, his)
Senior Associate Director, Employer and Alumni Relations
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