As the years go by, students and families become more and more familiar with the College Counseling Office at Lawrence Academy.

What once seemed like a just a name and far-off location on campus to incoming freshmen, eventually becomes a second home to juniors and seniors as they navigate the pathway toward college. The College Counseling Staff become friends, mentors, and supporters of students and their families as they consider the myriad options before them.

One of the ways in which the staff assists students is by helping them determine not only what their academic strengths are but what they are interested in; what moves them; what kind of jobs and vocations are available for them to consider.

This year, with the help of Lawrence Academy Board member Ruth White, the College Counseling Office held three informal dinners for students to hear from and ask questions of LA alumni. The first dinner focused on girls and job opportunities in the world of engineering, the second was a co-ed meeting that also focused on engineering careers, and the third one, held recently in Ansin, focused on business careers.

Over pizza, salad, and sodas, seated in a classroom in Ansin, 8 alumni shared their educational and professional backgrounds and fielded questions about business opportunities and careers from nearly a dozen students.

Students expressed an interest in everything from accounting and marketing to corporate finance to investment banking to communications to international relations and finance. And the panel of alumni was well qualified to answer. The group included business owners, consultants, entrepreneurs, inventors, and marketing experts (see the complete list of alumni who participated below).

Andy Routsis ’76, a University of Massachusetts grad who started his own plastics business, told the group that, “Discipline was the best thing I learned at Lawrence Academy. It totally prepared me for college. I was already used to how to study and research because of what I had learned at LA.” He also reminded students that the little things matter during a job interview. “Ask informed questions about the company you are interviewing with. Look people in the eye. Listen and be attentive. And prepare well for any meeting you have.” Maggie Brickley ’82, a project manager for pharmaceutical company, agreed with Andy regarding the little things. “I love thank you notes, especially handwritten ones. They are so important and say a lot about someone.”

Other pieces of advice offered by the alumni included a warning about Facebook postings. Financial consultant Jeff Maclaren ’70 said, “Be careful what you put on Facebook. People who hire look at Facebook and absolutely make decisions about whether to hire or not based on what they see there.” He went on to say, “Be a professional learner. Demonstrate and cultivate your hunger and desire to continue to learn, both in the interview process and throughout your career.”

Above all, one of the common themes was find something you love to do.

Kevin Hill ’99, an investment advisor representative with Centinel financial Group, encouraged students to “…do internships. Ask people you know for help and advice. People love to help others and you should use people you know in this way. Expand your network.”

The informal dinners certainly served that purpose! Students not only had the opportunity to ask questions and get advice from LA alumni, it also presented an opportunity for them to begin to develop their network with a group of people who truly do “love to help others.”
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Ruth Glazer White ’76 (Lawrence Academy Board of Trustees)
Business manager-engineering-Raytheon

Val Campolieto Templeton ‘89
Business manager- Templeton Plumbing

Maggie Brickley ‘82
Project manager for a pharmaceutical company - Domainpharma

Liz Kendall Carroll ‘00
Senior Promotional writer in the PR department at Meditech 

Kevin Hill ‘99
Investment advisor representative, Centinel financial Group, LLC 

Jeff Maclaren ‘70
Financial consultant

Andy Routsis ‘76
Plastics engineer, A. Routsis and Associates

Rick Tyson ‘87
Investment Manager for Boston Private Bank and Trust