Virtual Connections

Alumni and Seniors Connect Across the Country

The alumni/senior breakfast on May 1, 2020, looked very different this year. The annual event was not held in the Great Hall as it has been since its onset in 2014. Instead, the event was hosted in a series of virtual meetings as alums from all over the country spoke with small groups of seniors to answer questions about their college experience and give advice for a smooth transition.

Forty-five alums from 20 different states were asked to participate in small group discussions with the Class of 2020. Each group had a senior “captain” who organized the virtual call and helped facilitate discussions about college, internships, and career choices. While BSM would never have imagined having to host this event in a virtual capacity, it was a nice opportunity for alums who live outside the Twin Cities to engage with the Class of 2020. It was also a great chance for all seniors to feel connected (to each other) and to the larger alumni community. Many students also displayed their school choice by wearing their college T-shirt for the May 1 virtual event as is the tradition when the event is held at school.

The event was very successful and students had great things to say about their experiences:

“My group had so much fun meeting with Jill Flaherty Link ‘99. She gave us really helpful advice about the transition from high school to college. While we were talking, we found out that Jill attended the same elementary school as Maura and me [two of the group members on the call]. It’s crazy how small the world is. It was also fun getting to talk about her time at BSM and how much it has changed.” – Cylysce Doe ’20

“It went amazingly well; all the boys loved talking with Craig Shaver ’09 and he gave us so much good advice for the future... definitely a worthwhile experience!” – Ronan Brew ’20 “I would like to say that the video call was a success! Brian Grace ’93 gave us good tips on how his major played a role in his job, and how networking during college is vital for our futures. I think the students found him fun to talk to. Thank you for trusting me with the responsibility of this task!” – Pedro Ochoa ’20

“We had a very engaging discussion with topics ranging from BSM to college to the current pandemic. We were on the call for well over an hour. The boys shared stories and perspectives on life at BSM and even had questions for me about life after high school...I hope the boys share some feedback with you and I let them know they are welcome to reach out to me anytime in the future” – Jim Ferrens ’92

“It was a nice group of young men (almost graduates) who represented the school and themselves very well. I applaud you for finding an alternative forum during these most unusual times. I enjoyed learning about their college choices, activities in high school, as well as updates on the basketball program.” – John Burns ’88