Several students in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business walked into classes on Friday, Sept. 10, to a bit of a surprise. At the front of the classroom stood not only their faculty members, but also representatives of the Elon Alumni Board, who visited the classes to share industry and career advice with the next generation of Elon’s alumni. The Alumni Board held its semiannual meetings on campus Sept. 10-11.
“We all belong to a long maroon and gold line,” said Tim Moore ’78. “These alumni all climbed the same steps, sat at the same desks, walked the same halls as these students. Maybe by seeing someone who has been here, the students will listen to their advice and it will make a difference.”
Moore’s Raleigh, N.C.-based company, Dancing Elephants, Inc., specializes in sales training and marketing. He spoke with students in Michael Rodriguez’s Principles of Marketing class about the importance of not only building corporate brands, but also one’s personal brand, through social media.
“You must have a presence, but it must be a smart presence,” he said, stressing the importance of joining sites like LinkedIn and making sure Facebook sites don’t feature inappropriate content.
He also strongly encouraged students to begin networking with Elon’s alumni in their fields of interest.
“I run into kids right out of college every day, and they don’t understand how important it was to network while they were in school,” Moore said. “If you wait to start until you graduate, you’re too late.”
Kelli Palmer ’98, the current Elon Alumni Board president, spoke in Michael Gilles’ business communications class. She explained how her graduate school research interest – diversity in higher education – coupled with several valuable internships helped her secure her current position as assistant to the president of the University of Virginia.
“I just happened to have the right combination of skills and knowledge,” she said.
Other Elon Alumni Board members visiting courses were Chris Martin ’78, chief executive officer of Provident Bank, and Bill Coffman ’86 G’88, co-president of Coffman’s MensWear and former Alumni Board president. The visits were part of the Elon Alumni Association’s efforts to increase the alumni presence on campus and to facilitate networking opportunities for current Elon students.
“Anyone who’s an alumnus of Elon has a deep love for it,” Moore said. “We all remember people who reached out to us when we were students. Isn’t it our duty to reach back?”
Interested in returning to campus to share your expertise? Contact the Alumni Association by clicking the link to the right.