The Boundless Possibilities of Chatham Connect
The college experience—from orientation to graduation, and everything in between—can be one of the most exciting times in a person’s life. It can also be one of the most confusing! And while everyone at Chatham is committed to supporting our students, we’re proud to announce one more way to feel uplifted and guided during your time here and beyond: Chatham Connect! Chatham Connect is an online network of Chatham students and alumni, created to forge connections within our Chatham community, from professional connections to mentorship to simply chatting with fellow Chatham-ites! Read on to discover success stories from real students and alumni, and don’t forget to sign up here.
Sustainability Support
Maylyn Torpey, ‘23. Photo courtesy of Kaylyn Brice Photography
Maylyn Torpey, BSUS ‘23:
I recently reached out to Tiffany Tupper, who reignited my passion for my major and my career path. My first year of college left me confused about my future; I have a deep desire to help people, conserve the environment, and travel, but I did not know how to turn these interests into a career. Tiffany’s Chatham Connect profile included all three of these pillars, so I wanted to know what steps I should take to make my dreams and aspirations a reality.
I connected with Tiffany, who has a lot of nonprofit and international development experience. She helped me focus my interests and reignite my passion for sustainability and travel. I had a phone call with Tiffany about her work with nonprofits and she gave me advice about the steps I should take to be a successful and well-rounded nonprofit employee. She introduced me to several reliable nonprofits that I plan to pursue for internships and/or jobs in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed speaking to Tiffany and consider her a professional friend and mentor.
It took me mere minutes to find people who could answer my questions and concerns about my future career. Plus, everyone I spoke to was very kind so, at the very least, your spirits may be lifted by the experience! By taking the initiative to reach out to professionals in your prospective field, you could gain more focus and clarity in your plans for the future. It’s worth it!
Tiffany Tupper, ‘11
Tiffany Tupper, ‘11:
Maylyn, at the time a first-year student, was one of the first students I connected with and I really enjoyed our conversation. Maylyn first connected with me on the messaging system on Chatham Connect. We then connected over the phone and discussed her major, goals, and career interests. Maylyn is interested in nonprofit work, sustainability and coffee production. I tried to give her a 30,000-point view of things to consider that will help to make her as marketable as possible within those fields. I encouraged her to take classes or study parts of the world where coffee comes from, study foreign languages, travel, and recommended other professors that could support her in those areas. I have kept in touch with Maylyn even after our initial conversation. I will send her articles and other resources that I come across that I think would be beneficial to her. She is a real example of what we want Chatham students and women to be.
Students should join Chatham Connect because now more than ever networking is so important. So often people get a job because of knowing someone or have a connection on the inside. Networking on Chatham Connect is a great way to help get those connections on the inside. This is also a great resource for first-generation college students to have a place to receive advice and tips of what to take advantage of when you are a student is extremely useful. As an alum networking is just as important for us in our careers—not to mention joining the platform is extremely easy! Both alumni and students can only gain from joining Chatham Connect.
“ I felt enriched by my conversation with Tiffany. She reignited my dedication to earning a BS in Sustainability and showed me that my interests could become a career. ”
International Expertise
Anonymous, Exercise Science ‘22
So far, I have talked the most to Hartmut Drommershausen from Germany, where I hope to study someday. He's got quite a resume and has worked in many capacities in all sorts of health science professions, now working for a pharmaceutical company. He gave me some specific advice on what to do with my Bachelor's in Exercise Science, and it was very heartening to hear from him and get new ideas on what is possible for graduate work as well as professional work.
I'd encourage students having a hard time picturing themselves in future work to join - any length of time forward, after grad school or even after the next semester. I joined because I felt so stuck in assignment, class, assignment, assignment, test, class, that I wasn't allowing myself much thought for why or how I would be using my undergraduate work.
I was surprised by how many alumni there are and how many are available to speak with that already have things in common with so many people I know as well as myself. I know that a huge number of people graduate every year, more and more, but seeing really grown-up adults as a part of a class was pretty neat. Chatham Connect is a low impact, high reward way to get ideas about your own and others’ experiences.
Doing the same thing every day this summer has been a slog. I look forward to using Chatham Connect again and get out of the shell of my immediate surroundings and current state for a bit.
Hartmut Drommershausen, MBA ‘10
Hartmut Drommershausen, MBA ‘10
I primarily joined to reconnect with former classmates that I lost touch with. On Chatham Connect, I was able to find one of my classmates who moved to New York City that I had lost contact with. It was wonderful to see them on there and to be able to reach out to them so easily. I look forward to connecting with more of my classmates. I also joined to use the platform in the future to recruit new individuals to join our company. Connecting with students was very easy. Even if you can’t make it on to the site, you will receive notifications via email which is how I was notified that a student wanted to connect. I am looking forward to connecting with more students in the future after experiencing how easy Chatham Connect is to use.
Students should take that first step by joining Chatham Connect and asking questions to users that they find interesting. Don’t be nervous to join and ask questions! Never hesitate to reach out to anyone on Chatham Connect that is in that senior level position you want to be in some day. I wasn’t always in the position that I am in now; I was a student as well and faced the same issues as you. Being able to connect with people who are from the same school and were in the same place as you is a great opportunity to get to where you want to be.
“I’d suggest alumni joining also because the range of experience possible once one graduates is very heartening and good to visualize for those of us still plugging along at undergraduate work. Right now, it’s nice to know that other unknown worlds are coming up fast even if our current studies take up most of our time every semester.”
Special thanks to Kaitlyn Thoma of Chatham’s Alumni Relations for collecting interviews. If you’d like to find out more about Chatham Connect, head here.
