Graduate education provides students with knowledge and professional preparation, but the transition from student to working professional can raise questions that are difficult to answer in a classroom. Connections with alumni can help bridge that gap by giving students access to people who have already navigated it themselves.
“Graduate school provides the education and credentials, but there is still so much to navigate once you leave the classroom,” says Sunette Sahlah Thompson, an alumna of The Chicago School’s Industrial/Organizational Psychology program in the class of 2019. “I remember graduating with an idea of what I wanted to do but not necessarily knowing how to get there. There wasn’t a straight line between earning my degree and building the career I envisioned.”
Thompson recently had an opportunity to provide that kind of guidance to Dominica Rooks, a 2026 graduate of the M.A. Forensic Psychology program, through The Chicago School’s Alumni Relations team. At the Chicago New Grad Reception on June 25, Alumni Relations supplemented its traditional book raffle with a complimentary 90-minute mentorship strategy session with Thompson. Rooks won the session.
The two used their time together to discuss career direction, networking, mentorship, confidence, and practical next steps as Rooks prepared for life after graduate school.
“For me, it was amazing,” Rooks said following the session. “She instilled confidence in me so I can continue to go further in my journey.”
For Rooks, the experience illustrated how alumni can provide students with another source of guidance as they move from their education into their careers.
“As students prepare to enter their professions, the relationships between them and alumni can form a strong foundation as they navigate their careers,” Rooks added. “More specifically, this relationship can serve as a guiding resource for students and help instill confidence post-graduation.”
That connection can be particularly meaningful for students whose education takes place online. Rooks says alumni relationships can provide opportunities for personal connection as well as access to people with firsthand experience in a student’s chosen field.
“Students who are completely online can gain meaningful relationships with alumni, as it is sometimes difficult connecting with peers and your professor through coursework,” Rooks says. “Additionally, students can gain more precise information and resources from alumni who are directly in their field.”
Thompson sees another important distinction between what students learn academically and what they can learn from people who have already begun building their careers.
“I think they can gain access to the human side of building a career,” Thompson says. “Coursework can prepare you academically, but it can’t always prepare you for the uncertainty, relationship building, confidence, persistence, and self-awareness that are also part of developing professionally.”
Her session with Rooks provided a practical example. Thompson said their conversation gave them an opportunity to consider Rooks’ questions and concerns, explore possibilities she had not considered, and identify actionable next steps.
“That kind of conversation can remind a graduate that they don’t have to have everything figured out,” Thompson says. “Sometimes, you need a place to think out loud, ask questions, and have someone help you see possibilities you may not see on your own.”
For both women, the potential value of these relationships extends beyond an individual mentor and student. Alumni who remain involved can contribute their professional experience to a community that once helped prepare them for their own careers.
“For me, it’s bigger than networking,” Thompson says. “Networking can be valuable, but relationships are what make a community useful.”
Rooks similarly sees alumni engagement as a way to extend The Chicago School’s community beyond students’ time in their programs.
“I believe that alumni can open up broader opportunities and mentorship for students to help support and strengthen The Chicago School community,” she says. “Alumni can provide tools for students as they navigate life post-graduation while sharing real-world insights.”
For Thompson, that opportunity to bring experience back to the community captures what alumni mentorship can offer.
“I think alumni can strengthen the community by bringing those experiences back and saying, ‘Here’s what I’ve learned. If something I’ve experienced can help you navigate your own path, I’m willing to share it.’”