Alumni Inspiration Day

Building and engaging the community (including our extraordinary alumni) is a component of the school’s strategic plan, Compass 2028: Inspire the Future. Steward’s fifth annual Alumni Inspiration Day, which took place on January 17, brought together Spartan students and alumni for a morning filled with inspiration and mentorship. 

The school’s mission of preparing students for college and for life is front and center on Alumni Inspiration Day when seniors attend workshops led by successful alumni. New this year: a Coffee & Connections Fair for the junior and senior classes. Almost 30 alumni and parents volunteered their time to have informal conversations with the students to practice their networking skills and discuss college and career goals. 

Junior Lilly Thoman ’26 said, “[At the Coffee & Connections Fair] I loved meeting people who were in the same shoes as me at my age. My biggest takeaway is to use my free time to explore job fields. Although many of the professionals I spoke with did not have an exact plan for their future when they were my age, they all were able to explore different paths during their time at Steward, which helped them ultimately find their fit.” Lilly added, “When I think ahead to my senior year, I think about the connections I will continue to build. Because of Steward's size, I am blessed with a community that cares about my future.”

Coffee & Connections Fair alumni and parent volunteers included Harry Baron ’01, Paul Cantor, Jenn Cantrell, David Carl ’13, Aaron Chupp, Emma Connelly ’20, Adam Dawes ’07, Jeremy Fass, Andrew Gary ’12, Mary Warden Good ’07, Kathryn Hambrick, Rebecca Heck, Greg Holzgrefe, Sarah Austen Holzgrefe ’13, Kendall (Tate) Hrabak ’04, Lindsey (Leach) Jennings ’04, Deborah Jonas, Lindsey Lubin ’14, Davis Mohr ’17, Morgan (Van Davelaar) Mohr ’17, Rachel Ragan ’16, Corbin (Brierre) Ryland ’01, Amanda Shepley, Sarah Shimer ’12, Taryne Turner, Gerald Walsh, and Emma Zehfuss ’17. 

After the fair, the seniors attended small-group sessions with 13 alumni presenters. In addition to Ms. Connelly, Mr. Dawes, Mr. Gary, Ms. Holzgrefe, Ms. Lubin, Ms. Ragan, and Ms. Shimer, they heard from Cameron Bachman ’15, Kevin Cameron ’15, Lauren Cantor ’18, Ben Fox ’15, Frazer Orgain ’95, Tom Stack ’16, and Virginia (Villani) Zwiren ’15. 

Seniors attended three sessions on topics of their choice; options included “The Stages of Starting a Company,” “Zen and the Art of Not Freaking Out,” “Architecture School: An Inside Look at the Studio,” “Video Editing Within Creative Marketing and Advertising,” and “Is Teaching for You?” 

Braylan Rice ’25 attended Ms. Holzgrefe’s session, “Zen and the Art of Not Freaking Out,” which he enjoyed because “we practiced mindfulness and grounding, focusing on our body movement and breathing. My biggest takeaway from her session was that this time of life for teenagers, which can be nerve-wracking because of the pressure to succeed, is only temporary.” 

At Ms. Shimer’s presentation, “Empowering Young Climate Changemakers,” Braylan and his classmates learned ways in which students can make Steward’s campus more eco-friendly.

“Ms. Shimer had us brainstorm to create potential solutions to making Steward a greener space, and my friend and I came up with the idea of posting signs on the recycling bins and trash bins in every classroom to remind students of what can be recycled versus thrown away,” said Braylan. “Alumni Inspiration Day is an incredible opportunity for students to build connections with alumni.”

Alumni Inspiration Day helped Natalie Bagwell ’25 realize that Steward provides lifelong connections. Natalie attended Ms. Connelly’s session, “How to Make Consumers Want Things They Didn’t Know They Needed.” Ms. Connelly, a marketing specialist, shared that her initial inspiration behind pursuing a marketing career turned out to be misguided (“I originally thought it would be glitzy and glamorous, like ‘Mad Men’”) and emphasized the importance of branding (“It’s why people buy!”). 

Natalie also attended Ms. Shimer’s presentation. “What I found most interesting about Ms. Shimer [the science department chair at Berwick Academy in Maine] was her path toward pursuing education,” said Natalie. “That inspired me because I plan to be an elementary school teacher in the future. Her presentation gave me more insight into what my future might look like.”

To close the day, the Class of 2025 gathered in the Lora M. Robins Theatre for a panel discussion with Mr. Dawes, Ms. Lubin, and Mr. Fox; Braeden Glancy ’15 (administrative assistant in Steward’s College Counseling Office) moderated the discussion. The panelists shared their thoughts on planning for college, choosing a college major, networking, and the job-search process. They also answered questions that the seniors had submitted ahead of time.

When asked for advice on how to make the most of the college experience, Ms. Lubin suggested taking advantage of the many opportunities that campus life offers.

“There are so many resources available,” she said. A physician assistant, Ms. Lubin chose classes in the health sciences as a “starting point” in college and eventually found the path that led to her career. 

“College is where I blossomed,” said Mr. Dawes, a senior network engineer for Apex Systems. He encouraged students to appreciate the breadth of possibilities that college holds. 

Ms. Glancy noted, “I wish I had taken a business class in college! There are so many benefits to having a basic knowledge of business.” 

Thank you to the alumni and parents who volunteered their time to help our students!