Advice from Alumni: Annual Alumni Panel Coffee House

By Rabi Michael-Crushshon ‘26

Starting March off strong, the first Coffee House of the month drew students to the Old Main 4th-floor lounge to hear from English and Creative Writing Department alums. Birdie Keller ’25, Becca Lewis ’21, and Miriam Moore-Keish ’19 all attended in person, and Sam Hopkins ’24 zoomed in. 

Marcos Cruz and the Career Exploration Office facilitated the panel, where alumni sat in front of a packed room, answering thoughtful questions posed by Cruz and later by the audience.

Questions ranged from “What is one lesson you learned at Mac that you still carry with you?” to “Is there anything from Mac that you miss, and how do you go about finding it?” to “What is one piece of hope you want to pass on?” All of which garnered wise responses from the alumni.  

“Your resume doesn’t matter as much as the people you know,” advised Moore-Keish, who is an author and publisher. She currently has five books out and plans to have 10 by the end of 2027. She is the Content Strategist at Capstone, a local children’s publishing company; the Vice President of the Minnesota Book Publishers Roundtable; and a writer and grant program judge for We Need Diverse Books. 

Miriam Moore-Keish ’19’s two most recently published books. 

Along with the other alums, Moore-Keish gave advice on looking for jobs post-grad: “Go to the sauna, make friends with strange people,” she said. Despite how unserious that advice is on the surface, she emphasized the importance of being kind to strangers, meeting people, and networking. As someone who has looked for jobs and is now involved in the other end of the hiring process, she said that who you know is crucial.

The most difficult lesson that the alum panel has learned post-grad was universal: success looks different for everyone. Sam Hopkins explained that her pathway post graduation was unexpected, and she had to remind herself that her timeline for success looks different from others, and that is okay. 

Hopkins is currently serving full-time as an AmeriCorps Reading Corps Tutor at Webster Elementary in Minneapolis. “Do things for yourself that feel right in the moment,” she said.

Continuing to remind students that what they will be doing right after graduation is important, no matter how it compares to others, and is just as important as whatever they will be doing in the future. Marcos Cruz chimed in, reminding everyone that on and before graduation, you often hear from the loudest folks. Not everyone has it figured out.

Keller, the most recent alum, shared one lesson they learned from Macalester and still carry with them: the importance of asking for help. They learned that people love to share knowledge, so asking for help or having a conversation with someone can be a great way to learn.

Keller worked at the children’s camp Adventures in Cardboard the summer after graduation. They are now freelancing in theater, including independent productions, working at the Children’s Theatre Company, and serving as co-technical director at a middle school.

Keller shared their desire to learn more about carpentry, saying that they asked someone involved in the craft to grab coffee, and they were super excited to sit down and tell Keller what their job entailed.

Prompted by Cruz, the panel shared their various free time hobbies, including: choir, aerial swinging, dance, and crosswords. “The Twin Cities is a great environment for creating art,” said Becca Lewis ’21.

Lewis is now in her third season with Minnesota Choral Artists, and also works as the Testing & Department Coordinator at the Center for Disability Resources here at Macalester. She has always loved to sing, but didn’t pursue her passion formally until joining Macalester’s Concert Choir. 

After graduation, Lewis didn’t know exactly where she was going to work, but she knew she wanted to keep singing. She joined a community choir for a couple of years and then auditioned for a professional choir. She has found choral post-graduation to be fulfilling and a great way to make community. 

As the Coffee House came to a close, Cruz asked, “In an incredibly tumultuous and uncertain time, socially and politically. I’m curious what it means to be a Mac alum right now? What does it mean to be associated with this community?” 

The alum immediately responded, discussing the community Macalester fosters and Macalester’s emphasis on interculturalism. 

Keller said that students are asked to read about and talk to people who have been doing organizing work for a really long time. “We aren’t starting from nothing,” they explained, “we come from a history of people who have been working to create change.”

If you are interested in learning more, feel free to watch the recorded event: ENCW Alumni Panel, March 4, 2026