Deliberate acts of kindness

If you’re in a network of like-minded people, that’s good. But if you’re in a network of people who want to help each other succeed, that’s great.

Lizzie Oglesby

Lizzie Oglesby ’03 benefited from the Hollins alumnae network when she was looking for internships, and now she’s determined to pass along those same opportunities to current students.

“I attended a dinner in October 2001 for visiting alumnae and sat next to Denise Bethel [’73], then director of the photographs department at Sotheby’s,” said the film and photography major. “I already had an internship lined up at the MoMA [Museum of Modern Art], but Denise gave me her business card anyway and said, ‘Send me your internship application on September first of next year, and the Sotheby’s photo internship is yours.’

“This sort of interaction was what we called networking before Facebook and LinkedIn,” she added.

Now the senior officer for public relations and marketing at the Virginia Historical Society (VHS) in Richmond, Oglesby committed herself to providing an internship to a current student. “It’s so important for them to experience the real world and see what career paths are out there,” she said. “It is a truly priceless experience.”

The beneficiary of Oglesby’s generosity was Katie Roberts ’16, a gender and women’s studies major and French minor. Roberts thought she might enjoy working for a museum because it would enable her to explore her interests in art and history. She was also “looking for an experience with as many different jobs as possible so that I could have a broad sense of what museum work might be like.”

Even though Roberts didn’t work in Oglesby’s office, they still connected during 2014 January Term. “I saw Katie around the building every day, and I took her out to lunch to get to know her better,” said Oglesby. “She was a delightful addition to the VHS workplace.”

Katie Roberts

To Roberts, the internship was valuable for several reasons. She discovered that she “loved working with several people on a variety of projects. The fluidity and teamwork with others [in the photography and media department] made the tasks interesting and engaging.” And she appreciated having Oglesby as her mentor during the month-long experience.

Oglesby’s internships in fine art contributed to her decision to get an M.F.A. in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design. And her Sotheby’s internship caught the attention of the person interviewing her for a job at the VHS. “I still keep my two internships on my résumé, though they were more than 10 years ago,” she said.

“Being immersed in museum culture and surrounded by fine art and historical artifacts reminds me so much of my time at Sotheby’s,” she continued. “I am so lucky, and I hope to share it with the next generation of Hollins women.

“I know Katie will find her way to a rewarding career and will keep the J-Term experience alive when she needs an intern someday.”

Now It’s Your Turn

An internship is the perfect venue for honing workplace skills. With your help, students can learn new proficiencies demanded by the job market.

How Interns Can Help You

• Quality work and new perspectives.
• A pool of potential employees.
• Increased visibility on campus for your company or organization.

What Counts As an Internship?

• Supervised work experience, focused on career development, that has specific learning outcomes and goals. Students complete it during Short Term, the academic year, or summer.
• Enriching projects with defined responsibilities, mentoring, evaluation, quality training, and supervision.
• Assignments relating to the student’s major or interests and involving both creative problem solving and increased responsibility.
• A minimal amount of clerical work.

If you’re interested in providing an internship, contact Ashley Glenn, Career Center director, at aglenn@hollins.edu.

Hiking to the top for the next generation

Tinker Day hike challenge results

We challenged you to lace up your boots, put on your feather boa and tutu, and rally for Hollins by referring high school students to the admission office. Alumnae hiked (virtually) up Tinker Mountain and referred 101 high school students in the #RallyforHollins initiative in the fall. Thirty-three class years participated, from the class of 1953 to the class of 2014. The class of 1985 won the challenge by referring eight high school students. They were followed closely by the class of 1959, which referred five students. The classes of 1969 and 2003 referred four students each. Thanks to all alumnae who made this campaign a success.

We urge alumnae of all class years to continue to support the next generation of Hollins women. Participate in the #RacetoReunion by referring a high school student of any age by May 30, 2015. Your goal: 200 new referrals. We will announce the reunion class that refers the most students at the reunion celebration on Saturday, May 30.

• Refer a student: www.hollins.edu/refer
• #RallyforHollins and #RacetoReunion
• Facebook.com/HollinsAlumnae
• Twitter.com/HollinsAlum
• Instagram.com/HollinsAlumnaeAssociation

Alumnae Legacy Weekend

Campus tours and more coming up in August

If you know someone who would flourish at Hollins, you’re invited to bring her to campus during the Alumnae Legacy Weekend, August 7-9, 2015. The student must be in middle or high school and can be a daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin, or a student you teach or coach.

For more information, contact Nikki Johnson Williams ’98, M.A.L.S. ’13, senior director, enrollment management, at nwilliams@hollins.edu. REGISTER ›