Alumni-Student Engagement Opportunities
Alumni from the Harvard School of Public Health play an important and necessary role in the lives of our students. Giving back as an alumni volunteer by passing down knowledge and experience
is an invaluable gift to future practitioners and public health professionals. By giving back we all benefit by advancing the public health mission.
There are many ways to volunteer: as a mentor; an Admissions Representative; as part of the Alumni Career Advisory Network; or as a career panelist. Interested alumni should fill out the volunteer application. Some of the various ways alumni can support students include:
HSPH_ASK Listserv
The HSPH_ASK
(Alumni Sharing Knowledge) listserv
is a network of alumni from across the spectrum of career fields and specialties that aim to help students with questions about a career in public health and offer support and guidance to students as they move through their graduate studies.
Diversity Mentor
The Diversity Mentor program is a support program that enhances a student of color's experience through one-on-one interaction. The program matches current students with local HSPH alumni of color and is designed to enrich the student experience, as well as help students build personal, social and professional networks within the greater Boston area.
International Alumni Ambassador
The International Alumni Ambassador program provides immediate support and assistance to incoming international students through correspondence that begins before students arrive on campus. The program matches incoming international students with alumni who either reside in the student's home country/province/city or share the same citizenship. Alumni Ambassadors share how they managed the student visa process, offer suggestions on how to find housing in the Boston area, steps on acquiring a U.S. credit card, working with the home embassy, and otherwise help make the transition to a U.S. graduate student go smoothly.
Alumni Career Advisory Network
The Alumni Career Advisory Network consists of various alumni who meet with students throughout the academic year to discuss various career development issues. These alumni offer career advice to students in the art of interviewing, suggestions on how best to format a resume and provide information on various career paths. These alumni volunteers are expected to either meet with the student in person at least once each semester or talk over the phone or via Skype.
Interested alumni should fill out the volunteer application.
Career Panelist/Skills-Building Speaker
Throughout the year alumni may be called upon to offer insights on various career options. Whether it is speaking on a panel about a particular field of practice, meeting with students over lunch to discuss career choices, or participating in events where students learn how to network with alumni, the experience and knowledge alumni bring is invaluable. Potential areas of topics include:
- How to start your job search
- Budgeting experience in a managerial position
- Research Grants - How to get one
- The Path to Professorship
- Social Entrepreneurship - How to create a start-up
- Strategies to strengthen your medical residency application
- Grant Writing
- Fundraising in a not-for-profit environment
- Crisis Management
...and more
Interested alumni should fill out the volunteer application.
Admissions Ambassador
The HSPH Admissions Office regularly seeks alumni volunteers to represent the school at various career fairs and recruitment events close to your specific location.
Click here to learn more about volunteering as an Admissions Representative.
How do I learn more?
Whether you are a student looking to be matched with an alumna/us or an alumna/us interested in volunteering as an ASK volunteer or an International Ambassador, you can find more information by filling out the
volunteer application or contact David Rogers at drogers@hsph.harvard.edu or at
617-432-8466.