By Ansley Keane ’23
Staff Writer
The Mount Holyoke College Career Development Center recently added a new resource for students to make online connections within the alumni network: The Gates.
Associate Director of Digital Engagement of the Alumnae Association Danielle Lund described The Gates as “an online platform … [and] a virtual common space where alums and students can come together and connect.” Within The Gates, students can search for alums to connect with and filter by industry, location, major and other categories, including campus involvement, primary reunion class, whether or not the alum is a first-generation college student and more.
The Gates also has a discussion board for community members, a number of groups community members can join and a resources page with materials for alums, students and faculty.
Senior Associate Director of External Relations at the CDC Roshonda DeGraffenreid FP ’10 shared what excites her about this new platform. “I’m excited about students being able to connect with alums, staff and faculty about career, affinity and shared interests,” DeGraffenreid said. She also explained that students should take the time to reflect on their educational and career interests and make sure those interests align with their values, adding that The Gates can be a useful tool in that reflection process.
“It’s important that students have conversations with alums [about their career interests],” DeGraffenreid added.
Lund shared that The Gates provides an opportunity to connect with the global alumnae community in a new way. “I just see huge potential in terms of community building on a new level. We’re really excited for what will be coming down the road. There are currently 1,500 alums [o]n the platform,” Lund said. “I’m excited about the future programmatic elements and creating moments for people to come together outside of The Gates,” she added.
The Gates, in combination with other tools offered by the CDC, such as Handshake, can be useful for students currently looking for summer internships or post-graduation jobs. “A student could search to learn a little bit more about career industries or majors,” DeGraffenreid said.
DeGraffenreid noted that the platform can help students who know exactly what they want to do after graduation, but it can also be helpful for students who are still undecided about their career choices. By using The Gates, students can network with alumni to learn about different industries, careers and fields. Lund and DeGraffenreid also shared that The Gates has groups based on career interests, affinities and other shared characteristics that community members can join to connect with each other. DeGraffenreid explained that groups within The Gates can help students look at careers in a less linear way and allow them to get a better understanding of the variety of options that are available to them.
Before students begin networking with alumni on The Gates, they must be prepared. “It is a professional networking platform for our community,” DeGraffenreid said. DeGraffenreid emphasized that students should take the time to complete their profiles, construct an elevator pitch and research the alum or industry so they can prepare questions in advance.
Lund believes it may feel less intimidating to begin networking on The Gates because it is limited to Mount Holyoke community members. “This is exclusive to the Mount Holyoke community. Alums are opting in to share and connect,” Lund said.
For any students who want to learn more about professional networking and The Gates, the CDC may be a valuable resource. “We’re going to continue to conduct workshops … on networking and maintaining relationships with alums,” DeGraffenreid said. In these workshops, CDC staff will show students how to navigate The Gates reach out to alums in a professional manner. Students can also set up individual appointments with the CDC to learn more about using the site..
There are also tools that can simplify networking within The Gates. “There are resources that talk through how to write that first email [and] how to write the thank you email,” DeGraffenreid said. “I hope students have fun on this site and are not intimidated by it,” she concluded.