May 21, 2012
There’s no denying the power of social media in today’s
world – especially on college campuses!
That’s why a handful of St. John’s students have been using Twitter and Facebook to
promote the Alumni
Insider’s View…Program (AIV) an innovative series of events in
which alumni show students some of the most exciting careers
available.
This social-media initiative – called myAIV – allowed
student “insiders” to report on AIV events throughout the Spring
2012 semester, sharing photos, videos and important career
information during each event. Students, alumni and any other
member of the St. John’s community could follow these live updates
and get a sense of what was going on in each program.
“Being a part of myAIV was both a lot of work and a lot of fun,”
said Student Insider Aryanna Whitten ’13CPS, a Mass Communications
major. “I got to meet so many fascinating alumni – people who are
experts in their respective fields – and I was able to document
each event straight from my smartphone.”
One
of Whitten’s most memorable events was the
AIV…New York State Capital Program, which brought students to
Albany to meet alumni working as politicians, lobbyists,
journalists and healthcare professionals. Throughout the trip, she
tweeted notable quotes from the panelists and documented her
experience through a series of photos.
“That event was particularly interesting because I met such a wide
variety of alumni,” she noted. “Personally, I’m not sure whether
I’m more interested in law, politics, communications or journalism
– I like a lot of different fields. So to network with so many
graduates – especially at the formal networking reception – helped
me tremendously, and I hope people at home enjoyed seeing it
through my eyes.”
Jamillah Vernon ’13CPS served as a myAIV Insider for the Staten
Island campus and most enjoyed reporting on the
AIV…Professional Connection – Business Ethics Panel Discussion.
This insightful event featured distinguished Staten Island alumni,
such as
Alfred Cerullo ’83NDC, ’86L, President/CEO of the Grand Central
Partnership and Commissioner of the New York City Planning
Commission, Hon. Andrew J. Lanza ’87CBA, New York State Senator
24th District and John Esposito ’84NDC, Vice President, Global
Automobile Chartis.
“I made it a point throughout the evening to post
quotes and photos to let students, alumni and friends know what was
being discussed,” said Vernon. “It was an incredibly interesting
event that delved into what constitutes ethical behavior in the
workplace, especially the world of Business. So I hope the rest of
the St. John’s community was able to enjoy my coverage of the event
on Twitter and Facebook and see what a great opportunity it
was.”
If you would like to become an alumni AIV participant, contact the
Office of Alumni Relations at (718) 990-6232 or by e-mail at alumni@stjohns.edu and
find out how you can get involved.
And be sure to check out our students’ videos, photos and live
coverage from this past semester’s myAIV on Facebook, Twitter and the myAIV
homepage.