Strengthening the PRYDE Scholars Alumni Network
Jessica Feldman, PRYDE Scholar
This summer I worked on creating the PRYDE newsletter and PRYDE alumni database. The PRYDE newsletter included multiple sub-sections such as a status update from the directors, Tony and Kristen, a summary and personal reflections of the 2021 senior capstone project, and both an alumni and current scholar spotlight, highlighting two incredible experiences. The goal of the newsletter was to keep everyone updated on the current progress PRYDE is making, both current scholars and alumni. The outcome was an electronic newsletter that was emailed out to the entire PRYDE community. I think this resource was an amazing way to reflect, and I look forward to it being sent out every semester going forward.
The second thing I worked on was creating a PRYDE alumni database. I reached out to all PRYDE alumni via email to gather information on what everyone was up to. I asked alumni to include the title of their current position/ graduate school program, what their work entails, as well as how it may connect to anything they learned in PRYDE. The goal of the project was to create an amazing resource for current students in PRYDE to connect with alumni and learn about potential opportunities after college. The final outcome was a google sheet that organized all of this information, and it was sent out to the whole PRYDE community. I also believe this was an extremely valuable resource, and I hope everyone begins to use it and connect with one another!
A major takeaway from this experience regarding youth development was how important the topics covered in PRYDE were in so many alumni’s experiences post-graduation. The PRYDE experience can lend itself to so many wonderful opportunities and an incredible portion of alumni seemed very motivated to continue their learning in PRYDE in some capacity. It also made me realize how broad the category of youth development truly is, as there are so many different career and graduate school paths to enter the field and make a difference.
A personal takeaway I had from this experience was how it enabled me to feel more connected to other PRYDE students and alumni after having such a key role in building a new part of our program. I personally had the privilege of reaching out to and connecting with all past alumni and learning about all of the incredible things they are up to. I truly feel so lucky to be a part of this wonderful community, and this experience took that feeling to a whole new level.