May 9, 2017
St. John’s University’s Alumni Insider’s View…US Capital program, offered by the Office of Alumni Relations and University Career Services, took first place for Best Practices in Career Development at the Metropolitan New York College Career Planning Officer’s Association’s (MNYCCPOA) annual Spring Meeting and Alva C. Cooper Awards.
The award ceremony took place on May 12 at New York University. As a first-prize winner, St. John’s receives a $1,500 award for the use of its Office of Career Services.
The Alumni Insider’s View programs are held annually on-site in Albany, NY, and Washington, DC, allowing students to meet St. John’s alumni who hold positions in government and public service. “University Career Services and the Office of Alumni Relations came together to best serve the interests of our students,” said Jennifer Grauso, Associate Director, Employer Events and Services, University Career Services. “We saw a need to connect alumni with our current students in a meaningful, educational, and professionally beneficial way.”
During the Albany program, established two decades ago, as many as 40 students a year participate in multiple panel discussions with area alumni, all of whom have careers with the New York State government or in related professions. Members of the New York State Assembly and Senate, lobbyists, and others share the inner workings of the state capital with students.
Each year, the Washington, DC, program offers nearly 70 St. John’s students a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective on the nation’s capital. Through the program, which is nearly 40 years old, students attend panel discussions within special access rooms at the Capitol. They also take a private tour of the historic building in addition to enjoying museum visits, trips to monuments, and a stop at the US Supreme Court.
“The students who participate in this initiative have demonstrated significant academic achievement, as well as a commitment to service that has always been a unique aspect of the St. John’s experience,” said Mark Andrews, Director, Office of Alumni Relations. “Public service is, at its very essence, an opportunity to effect positive change that can exert a profound impact upon our society for generations to come.”
MNYCCPOA is a professional organization consisting of career services counselors representing more than 60 colleges in the metropolitan New York area.