This Wednesday, Jan 8, Saint Stephen’s students gathered in the Upper School Commons for the Annual Alumni Panel. Coordinated by Alumni Director Laurie Mcfeeley, the alumni panel is an opportunity for former Falcons to return to campus to share their college experiences and offer advice to our current Falcons.
In the style of Q&A, hosted by Upper School Director Mrs. Anna Conn, the alums responded with tales of their experiences once they left Saint Stephen’s. These included joining Fraternities and Sororities, struggling with adapting to larger classes and having great success finding friend groups that suited their interests.
Alumni Director Laurie McFeeley said that these recent grads can relate well to Falcons currently in the US.
“The main goal of the panel is to provide current students with relatable insights into college life from alumni who have recently transitioned,” McFeeley said.
“The event highlights different perspectives… and helps students understand how their high school experiences translate into college.”
For Mrs. McFeeley, the tradition is a great way to reconnect with former teachers, like Mr. Mark Santa Maria, whose favorite part of the panel is connecting with past students.
“If there are students who I have had in the past,” Santa Maria said, “I love seeing and connecting with them.”
Santa Maria added that the advice the alums gave about the importance of specialization was valuable.
“I think it [the panel] gave them the idea that once they graduate they have to start specializing in something,” Santa Maria said. “Becoming a specialist after being such a generalist for 13 years is hard.”
The alumni on the panel responded to several questions read by Mrs. Conn. For example, “What has surprised you about college?”
Alumnus Edward Gao ‘24 said college has been about experiencing life on his own. The biggest change from high school for Gao was having “the freedom to do what you want to when you want to do it,”
When it came to reflecting on their life at Saint Stephen’s, and “advice to current students,” Cassidy Miller recommended getting close to teachers.
“Be kind to teachers,” Miller said. “And build strong connections” in order to be ready to “engage with professors and show you care.”
Current Junior Jack Supernaud reflected the value of the alumni panel, emphasizing its importance for the juniors and seniors preparing for college. He saw the event as beneficial for the students as well as the faculty.
“The alumni panel this year was really good,” Supernaud said. “It would be cool for them to introduce a more variety of questions to keep the discussions fresh and engaging.”
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The Alumni Panel for 2025 met this Wednesday in the US Commons.
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Dr. Elsner talks to alumnus Cassidy Miller about Wednesday’s event.
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Junior Matthew Christian talks to alumnus Edward Gao.
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A close-up of the ten returning students for today’s Alumni Panel.
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Ms. Hambrick and Junior Marcella Clayton talk to alumnus Riley Schlick- Trask about her time spent in college.
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Mr. Moore and Junior Helen Carey talk to alumni Sophia Creneti and Bella Rosa about today’s events.
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Mrs. Conn greets the Upper School body and Alumni panel for 2025.
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Mr. Yanelli talks to alumnus Luke Phommachan about his time at Saint Stephens.
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