Paving the way from campus to a career in education

The Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) celebrated the success of its second annual Career Pathways event in May, bringing together over 80 participants for an evening of networking, mentorship, and cross-sector dialogue.

Held in the Center for Education Research at Stanford (CERAS), the event attracted 67 students and 17 alumni representing various career paths, from K‒12 teaching and higher education to edtech, policy, philanthropy, research, and international development. The event is part of a broader initiative to foster meaningful alumni engagement and create opportunities for students and alumni to build their networks, beginning while students are still on campus.

“A major part of building a strong alumni network is helping students to engage with alumni while they’re still students,” according to GSE director of alumni relations Marly Solebello. “When you’re a student, you often have an idea of what you think a job might be like, but until you talk to someone in that role, you don’t really know. These events help authentically demystify the workplace.”

Alumni participants included recent graduates from the classes of 2023 and 2024 alongside professionals with decades of experience. A critical element in the event’s success was financial support from alumni Iris Berke, PhD ’80, and Norm Robinson, PhD ’74, who underscored the importance of giving back to their alma mater and connecting with students and fellow alumni across generations and education sectors. 

“Alumni were invited back to campus and matched with students and other alumni at industry-based tables according to their interests and areas of expertise, for a total of 3 rounds of networking conversations,” explained assistant director of career education and event co-organizer, Alanna Simao.  

“The goal was to create an opportunity for students to engage with alumni in various fields to learn more about what their careers entail, and to explore areas they may not have previously considered. These types of alumni events are beneficial to all: alumni can share deep insights into their day-to-day work and into the career landscape; students prompt insightful conversations with their questions and bring their own backgrounds and expertise to the conversations as well.”  

Cross-pollination in the professional field of education was a core feature of the event. Attendees said they appreciated the chance to share best practices, reflect on their career paths, and provide concrete advice on job searching, professional development, and the transition from student to professional. “There’s something uniquely valuable about bringing together people from different corners of the education world,” Marly said. “It’s rare that K‒12 educators get to talk to policy makers or someone in edtech about their work. These conversations spark ideas and collaborations we might not see at more industry-specific conferences.”

The event’s popularity exceeded expectations, with a strong turnout and a surge of last-minute interest from students hoping to participate. An anonymous post-event survey revealed unanimous praise from students and alumni alike. 

“This was a really lovely event overall,” an alum responded in the survey. “It was so clear that staff were incredibly intentional and thoughtful about the planning process.” Student participants were equally impressed: “[I most enjoyed] candid and interesting conversations about the job market and people's areas of expertise,” one student wrote. “Alumni were all super kind and willing to help,” another reported. “I’m so grateful and happy I attended!”
 

As the GSE continues refining its strategic plan for alumni relations, events like Career Pathways are proving to be a vital bridge between the classroom and the professional world, one conversation at a time.