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For Amy Emerick ’03, the idea of community is very important. It was significant when she was a student at Lafayette, and it’s something she appreciates even more now that she is an alumna.
“I am proud of the fact that Lafayette graduates such a small number of students, yet offers such a high-quality education in a close-knit atmosphere,” explains Emerick, a government & law graduate who minored in Spanish. “I know quite a few people who went to much larger schools and they not only complain about the lack of personal/academic attention they received, but they also don’t seem to have nearly the same affinity for their alma maters, save for during football season, that we graduates of Lafayette have for our school, no matter what sport season it is!”
Emerick, who earned an M.B.A. at Yale’s School of Management and worked for the Democratic National Convention Committee this year, says that the excitement generated from Lafayette alumni running into one another is special. It comes, she adds, “from knowing you both shared a one-of-a-kind undergrad experience.”
Because she was eager to remain connected to her alma mater, Emerick joined Lafayette’s Alumni Online Community. And shortly after she registered, her decision paid off.
“Not long after my profile went up, I heard from a friend I might not ever have had a chance to catch up with, simply because she saw my profile on the database and contacted me,” she says. “[Another Lafayette alumnus who contacted me] actually was enrolled in my M.B.A. class at Yale. The online community is just one more way to stay connected to Lafayette and potentially make future connections or catch up with those I haven’t heard from in years.”
Prior to studying at Yale, Emerick worked for U.S. Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) for three-and-a-half years on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
“There happened to be quite a few Lafayette alums close in age to me who lived in D.C. while I was there,” she says. “I saw a few of them in social settings, but mostly got involved with the alumni chapter’s executive board.”
Emerick served as a writing mentor for a local student and participated in several panels for students looking to find careers in D.C. In addition, she worked one-on-one with a handful of Lafayette graduates, helping them in their job hunt on the Hill by editing their resumes and cover letters, passing along job-opening announcements, and giving advice about interviews.
Emerick is willing to help fellow Lafayette alums because she is paying forward the good deeds that have benefited her.
”Over the years, so very many alumni who barely knew me have gone out of their way to help me, simply because I have had a connection to them through Lafayette,” she says. “So, essentially, I did not think twice about joining the online community because it can only put me in a position to meet more of these kinds of genuinely committed alums. It will also allow me to offer support to alums who might need my help.
“Registering for the community is not some big commitment; it’s just a good way to keep in touch with the school. Why wouldn’t you join? What do you stand to lose?”