We spoke with the Chicago-based Scot who graduated with a major in political science and a minor in educational studies. As the current Alumni Board president, he’s focused on strengthening the bonds between Mac alumni and the college community.
What do you do when you’re not volunteering with Macalester?
My full-time position is at an education tech startup, AwardSpring, where I work as a customer solutions lead. Basically I lead go-to-market strategy and sales for a customer relationship management product for the company. I work a lot with fundraising folks, advancement staff, and executive directors from largely the community college and technical college space, which is a natural extension of my lifelong focus on helping students achieve their college and career goals. Outside of work, I spend most of my time with my partner, our toddler, and our dog, who keep me both busy and deeply fulfilled.
Why did you join the Alumni Board, and what have you been working on?
Joining the board is something that I, in true Mac fashion, would probably never have raised my hand for myself, but instead I got nominated (thanks, Joe Shearer ‘11!). I had heard from some fellow alumni that there’s some really great work happening here, and was excited by the chance to connect and work alongside fellow Mac folks, people who are smart, empathetic, and bring a learning mindset to everything they do.
There’s always something interesting and new to work on with the Alumni Board. One of the first task forces that I helped lead was a diversity, equity, and inclusion task force, where we took a look at ourselves, internally. Are we showing up in the right places? Are we looking at our processes through an equity lens?
As a former athlete—I played football at Mac—it’s also been fun to amplify the work of Macalester Athletics and volunteer with their leadership program, Scots LEAD. The program works to prepare student-athletes for life after Mac and I’ve been able to facilitate a bunch of sessions with Scots as they prepare for their next chapter.
What are you most excited to be working on this year as president?
One of my biggest priorities has been to deepen the alumni connection to the college. A lot of folks can’t get back to campus for various reasons, but there are still plenty of opportunities to
connect. That’s a big part of what we are working on this year: amplifying those opportunities, tracking engagement, and finding areas we can improve.
How do you recommend alums take that first step to reconnect with Mac?
Taking the next step for some people could be as simple as reading Macalester Today. For others it is logging on to MacConnect and registering as a career helper—it will only be a matter of time before fellow Scots start reaching out to network and ask for advice. And then, there really are a lot more in-person opportunities than you could ever imagine. I’d recommend checking out where the nearest Mac in Your City is taking place (it might surprise you how many awesome events your fellow Scots are hosting) or finally coming back for Reunion. It’s a blast to be back on campus.
What event are you most looking forward to this year at Mac?
That’s got to be graduation. As Alumni Board president, I’ll have the privilege of welcoming new graduates into Macalester’s community of more than 30,000 alumni, a moment I’m very much looking forward to. Macalester brings together so many people from around the globe, and what a wonderful chance to celebrate their pride and the possibility of what’s coming next. Macalester is an experience unlike any other, and as a college access and success professional, I think I have to be, you know, obligated to really love a graduation. But a Macalester graduation, with the bagpipes and all, you’ve got to love that even more.
To learn more about the Alumni Board and upcoming opportunities, visit macalester.edu/alumni/alumniboard.
