Alumni as Mentors, Coaches and Connectors
What career-prep support looks like at Dickinson—and why it matters.
by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Every student wonders how to get from where they are to where they want to be. While Dickinson’s four-year career-prep program demystifies career paths and builds essential connections, experiences and skills, there’s no substitute for the insights and inspiration students can gather from professionals who were once in their shoes.
That’s why more Dickinson alumni than ever are returning to campus—in person and virtually—as mentors, coaches, connectors and living examples of just what a Dickinson education can do.
These interactions can make a tremendous difference to a student without prior industry connections, notes Mike Capone ’88, CEO of Qlik, who visited campus last year through the Burgess Institute’s Profiles in Leadership Series.
“I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to have people who opened doors, offered candid guidance and helped me see around corners I couldn’t see on my own. Not everyone has access to that kind of network,” Capone explained. “I want a student who grows up without obvious advantages to walk out of Dickinson with the skills, the experience, the relationships and the confidence to compete with anyone—anywhere.”
Three Dickinson resources make these connections easier than ever. Dickinson’s revitalized Center for Career Development and Burgess Institute for the Global Economy provide structured pathways for alumni to connect directly with students and faculty. The John M. Paz ’78 Alumni & Family Center provides an ideal space for those on-campus collaborations.
The Center for Career Development
Dickinson’s reimagined Center for Career Development has created eight Career Communities to bring groups of students together with alumni who have experience in a field or fields they are interested in. Participation begins during a student’s first weeks on campus and continues to build throughout their four undergraduate years. Each Career Community is led by a dedicated Career Pathway Advisor who meets with the group regularly and connects with alumni in that target field.
Alumni can get involved through:
- Group discussions, workshops and career talks: On-campus and livestreamed events such as Dickinson’s Life After Graduation workshop series shed light on career paths and give students real-life examples of how Dickinsonians broke into those fields.
- Targeted mock interviews, given on campus or remotely, help students practice for internship and job interviews and increase their chances of success.
- Resume reviews: Feedback from a seasoned alum working in a student’s field of interest can be invaluable to a student just starting their internship or job search.
- Networking events, connecting alumni who may know of a promising opportunity with talented students.
- Industry Treks and site visits: Alumni-hosted trips to workplaces help students imagine what working in that industry or workplace is like and connect them with professionals in their intended field.
- Job shadows and internships go a step further, bringing students into workplaces for a day, a week, a month or more.
Burgess Executive-in-Residence
Dickinson’s Burgess Institute for the Global Economy, established in 2024 by Lisa and Mark Burgess ’81, blends the benefits of a liberal-arts education with business, finance and leadership skills. Its high-impact programming is driven directly by alumni expertise and helps students in every major.
Alumni leaders in any field may get involved through a variety of Burgess initiatives. The centerpiece is the Burgess executives-in-residence program. It brings alumni leaders to campus for short stays that can include intensive bootcamps and other opportunities to offer direct leadership perspectives and conduct one-on-one advising sessions.
During the past academic year, hundreds of students interacted with Burgess Executives-in-Residence Lauren Ashley Smith ’06, an Emmy-nominated writer and producer; Chris Sharples ’87, founder of SHoP Architects; and Julia Filiberti Allen ’12, founder and CEO of Deep Tech Defense.
Alumni may also get involved through:
- Coaching and mentorship: Alumni serve as judges and mentors for the Burgess Institute Innovation Competition and Dickinson’s Public Speaking Contest. Alumni also lead skill-building workshops and deliver financial literacy sessions.
- Finance & Business Network: The institute connects students directly with alumni in Dickinson’s Finance & Business Network, facilitating off-campus excursions and global career pathways tailored specifically for liberal arts graduates entering dynamic markets.
- Panel discussions and lectures: Alumni share insights with groups of students as speakers and panelists. This past February, for example, four industry leaders came to campus to discuss the effects of tariffs, AI, renewable energy and telecom infrastructure on the global economy.
- Course engagement: Alumni experts partner with faculty to bring professional expertise and real-world perspectives directly into the classroom. This past academic year, 67 alumni engaged students as guest lecturers, panelists, coaches and mentors through the Burgess Institute for the Global Economy.
Scott Winn ’95 is one of four alumni who contributed to the spring 2026 Innovation Competition through workshops and remote-advising efforts that helped student teams put their best foot forward. “From our initial kickoff meeting with the teams to their final presentations at Pitch Night, the participating students developed their ideas, talked with potential customers and designed and built prototype solutions,” he said. “It was a great experience getting to know them and support their efforts.”
The John M. Paz ’78 Alumni & Family Center
The Paz Center is a permanent home base for Dickinson alumni and families, and it’s reshaping how alumni interact with faculty and students. Located on Dickinson’s campus in the former President’s House, this state-of-the-art facility includes:
- Collaborative social spaces: The main floor and outdoor terraces provide centralized locations for “fireside chats” and career talks, mentoring and networking sessions and other student-alumni events.
- Well-appointed workspaces: The center includes comfortable areas for faculty to collaborate with alumni subject experts.
- On-campus lodging: The six comfortable suites are available to anyone who wishes to stay in this distinctive and elegant setting, steps from downtown Carlisle. That makes campus visits a breeze for alumni speakers, coaches and executives-in-residence.
This past year, nearly 400 Dickinsonians attended Paz Center events, such as career talks, reunions and networking receptions. A total of 318 Dickinson parents and alumni stayed there overnight.
For students who meet up with alumni at “the Paz,” it’s more than a convenient spot for collaboration. It’s also a visible symbol of the strength of Dickinson’s cross generational ties. The summer after her first year at Dickinson, Katelyn Duffy ’29 (undeclared) attended a Paz Center event that brought alumni, Dickinson leaders, professors and students together. Asked why she decided to attend, she said that such events “show how important Dickinson is to alumni, and that they care about students who are here now.”
To learn about stays at the Paz Center, visit dickinson.edu/paz or call 717-245-1149.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published October 1, 2026