On Thursday, January 9, Wake Forest senior men from the District of Columbia Metro Area gathered for a networking dinner with 4 young alumni working in the DC area. This dinner facilitated discussion between current students and young alumni around topics such as: paths to success, the importance of networking, how to connect with WFU alumni, career aspirations, and the overall move from college to the post-collegiate world.  The dinner’s host, Jonathan Willingham (’03), gave great insight to how the event not only impacts students, but also young alumni: “As an alum, I really relish opportunities to interact with students.  The camaraderie that is born on campus follows with you when you leave, and it extends to generations of students past and future. To get to know current students, hear what their goals are, and help them along their respective paths is incredibly rewarding.  And it feels good to remain engaged with Wake, even from hundreds of miles away.”

Ryan Frydenlund (’14), a finance major, participated in the event and said, “This dinner did not feel like a networking event, it instead felt like a casual conversation with friends. I got a real feel for what it’s like to be a young professional in the city, what to expect when you start working, and tips for being successful.”

The Young Alumni Contributors:
Host: Jonathan Willingham (2003), Chief of Staff at Council of the District of Columbia
Andrew Blaisdell (2003), Managing Director at Corporate Executive Board
Adam Parker (2010), Analyst at Deloitte Consulting
Dhruva Rajendra (2010), Founder at “Latch”

If you would like more information on how this type of program might be able to take place in your area, please reach out to Stephen Edwards in the Alumni Office (edwardsj@wfu.edu).  We hope to have similar opportunities to engage with Deacons across all demographics and geographies throughout 2014!

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