Thankful Days… A Special Thank You To All Maxwell Alumni!

Lauren Hill Rose (’14), Karla Parra (’11), Christine, and Camille Coleman (’13) meet up in Dallas after Recruitment Event (Fall 2015)

A Special Thank You to All Maxwell Alumni for the Many Ways you Support the Maxwell School All Year Long 

I think it is very important to practice the art of gratitude.  It is easy to get caught up in the busy “day-to-day”and forget to take a moment to breathe and take stock of all of our blessings. Today I want to focus on how Thankful I am for all the wonderful students (soon to be alumni), former students and Maxwell Alumni I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with over these last 20+ years.

Just in case you were not aware…. Maxwell School Alumni are THE ABSOLUTE BEST.  The strong sense of community and connection to the school that is fostered in our graduate programs extends well beyond their time of study – and they stay connected and loyal beyond imagination over the duration of their professional careers – and even the entirety of their lives.  The strength of the Maxwell Alumni Professional Network is legendary in the field.  Even our colleagues at other NASPAA and APSIA schools wonder what special magic promotes such a strong connection to our school.  I have my thoughts – and much of if has to do with the small, tight-knit cohort of students who are so genuinely purposeful in their public and international service careers.  They are the kind of student who comes to SYRACUSE (of all places) to study public policy and international affairs !  The kind of student who values the ability to have close connections working with faculty and complete a rigorous curriculum …  a curriculum that provides depth of knowledge AND valuable professional skills for working on the real problems of not only today – but also tomorrow.

So, today I am especially Thankful for all Maxwell Alumni who contribute to the success of our school in so many ways.

CAREER ADVANCEMENT:   Maxwell alumni are constantly assisting the next generation of Maxwell students in their Career Advancement.  They are responsible for sending 100’s of job postings each year to the Palmer Center for Career Development.  And beyond that, they  offer to speak with our students about the openings and their organizations, offering critical advice.  Many Maxwell Alumni come back to Maxwell each year to host Career Talks and speak about working at their organizations.  And the Maxwell career advancement network continues with Alumni helping Alumni at the later phases of their careers with higher level positions and hiring across all sectors and all over the world!

PROUD ALUMNI WAVING THE MAXWELL FLAG:  As the Admissions Director, I could not even begin to be as successful in bringing in a wonderfully talented class of graduate students each year, if not for our proud Maxwell Alumni! They are constantly referring students to the program. (Thank you!)  I cannot tell you how much it warms my heart to see my former students write letters of recommendation for the next generation of potential Maxwell students!

They are also incredibly generous with their time in speaking with the prospective students that I meet and send their way! They are always happy and willing to reach out and discuss their Maxwell student experience and how being a Maxwell graduate has helped them over the course of their careers.

And each year 100+ Maxwell Alumni sign up in the Spring for our Alumni Coffee Chats – offering to connect over coffee with our newly Admitted Students all over the US and throughout the World.

AND FINANCIALLY:  I would be remiss if I did not mention the many dedicated Maxwell Alumni (myself included) that contribute annually to the school, increasing our ability to provide generous financial aid to our incoming students.  No donation is too big nor too small.. and each donation assists the school in supporting our newest students.

They give to the PAIA General Graduate Fund, as well as numerous Endowed Accounts (we have well over 30!). Several Endowed Account honor former faculty our alumni may have taken classes with over their time of study. These include the Dwight Waldo Scholarship, the William D. Duncombe Fund, the Birkhead-Burkhead Fund, the Walter D. and Angel W. Broadnax Fund, and the Cindy and Stuart Bretschneider Fund.   This year, our current students Joshua Dougherty, Katherine Gibson, Lie’chelle Robinson Hernandez and Geneva Guadalupe all benefitted greatly by the funding provided via these endowed accounts.  None of this would be possible without the generous contributions of our former faculty, their families and the many alumni who support the school each year.

So, today I am practicing my gratitude by taking time to be especially THANKFUL to the many Maxwell Alumni for ALL the generous ways they support their alma mater!  THANK YOU!

Happy Thanksgiving to each and everyone of you.

Sincerely,

Christine

NOTE:  Syracuse University will close today for the holiday and re-open on Monday, December 2.

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