Spring/Summer 2011 - St. Jerome's University

SJUUPDATEWhat do SJU alumni have incommon?2011 SJU Alumni-Student Career MixerOur Alumni-Student Career Mixer tradition continues!Every year a great lineup of presenters from both SJUand the UW Center for Career Action, and a fantasticgroup of students and inspiring alumni presenters cometogether for another successful event.perpetrators. Bruce Rodrigues’ passion for his careerstems from his joy of teaching and being with students.Margaret Steel Farrell and Greg O’Connor have foundthat personal and professional networks can lead tocareer opportunities and satisfaction.All of our exceptional alumni presenters use their talentsand skills to find passion and fulfillment in their careers.The message to all was simple – follow your heart.We are always looking for talented, knowledgeablealumni to be presenters at the Alumni-Student CareerMixer. You, too, can give something back to thestudents of St. Jerome’s! For information on gettinginvolved in the SJU Alumni Association or volunteeringas an alumni presenter, contact Mari-Beth Davis atmbdavis@uwaterloo.ca or 519-884-8110, ext. 28277.Thank you to our 2011 alumni speakers pictured herewith David Perrin and Mark Greco. From left to rightthey are:• Mary Ellen Cullen (BA ’78, French) – Deputy CrownAttorney for the Province of Ontario• Bruce Rodrigues (BMath ’83) – Superintendent ofEducation, Waterloo District Catholic School Board• Ali Asaria (Former SJU Resident) – founder of well.ca• Margaret Steel Farrell (BA ’94, English) –Communications Specialist, Manulife Financial• Greg O’Connor (BA ’87) - Marriage and FamilyCounsellor specializing in Wilderness Therapy• Jeff Woodrow (BA ’02, Fine Arts) – founder of JoyApparel (on teleconference)To kick off the event, representatives from the SJURegistrar’s office and UW Centre for Career Actionshared career planning tips and offered direction for currentand graduating students. Then the presenters shared theirstories. So what do our SJU alumni have in common,besides their link to SJU? A passion for what they do.Entrepreneurs Ali Asaria and Jeff Woodrow saw aneed they could fill using their connections and skills.Mary Ellen Cullen carved out a niche in her lawpractice, helping women and children, both victims andtweet this!How to Make Social MediaWork for YouOn November 18, 2010, MarthaJack, Head Consultant witheCONVERSE Social MediaConsulting, gave an insightfulpresentation to SJU alumni on how to make the mostof social media tools. Jack, a local entrepreneur, sharedtips on using social media to spread the word about yourbusiness or career, to find employment, or to promote acause that you are passionate about. The session focusedon giving alumni the skills and knowledge they needto be active and effective social media participants –especially important in a community where technologyis part of everyday life.Alumni who attended the event learned about how toget the most from their social media content; about thevarious platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter; andabout how to cater to different types of media users(tailoring the message to your audience). The sessionalso served as a starter lesson for alumni seeking ways tointegrate a social media strategy into their business – andto use social media when it makes sense, not just to bethere because it’s the place to be.10Volume 30. Number 1 • Spring/Summer 2011