Reposted from Tim Richardson
It’s back-to-school season across the globe—some dread the long classroom hours and tough homework, while others look forward to reconnecting face-to-face with classmates they haven’t seen in months.
Both learning and connecting matter—but it’s often connecting that yields the greatest long-term reward.
1. The Hidden Power of School Connections
Because of school friendships, we build powerful networks that help us in job searches, business challenges, personal situations, and lifelong learning.
My own connection list includes professionals in commercial real estate, HR and estate planning law, corporate leadership, private club management, medical fields (nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, family medicine), academia, finance, performing arts, ministry, tech, real estate, yacht sales, and more.
They’re just a call or text away when I need advice, a job referral, or a chance to pay it forward. These relationships have served me well—and I’ve also supported many of my connections in return.
2. Alumni Networks Fuel Career Growth
Research confirms what personal stories illustrate: alumni networks deliver.
They create instant trust through shared experience, offering insights on industry trends, jobs, and workplace culture. (Read this Boston Universityarticle “The Power of Alumni Networks in Today’s Changing Economic Landscape”.
These networks span industries and regions, connecting you to hidden opportunities and diverse perspectives. An AlmaShines Technologies article—Unlock Your Future: 10 Benefits of a Strong Alumni Network—further emphasizes the value of alumni networking events.
They’re not just social clubs—they’re long-term career accelerators.
3. Real-World Examples of School Pride Opening Doors
Supporting your school can open unexpected doors:
En route to the airport to attend the 2014 BCS National Championship National (Auburn University vs. Florida State University), my FSU T-shirt caught the attention of former UT coach Phillip Fulmer—leading to lunch and eventually a speaker mastermind group.
The next day in Pasadena, another Florida State University shirt sparked a conversation with bestselling author Harvey Mackay —who invited me to ride with him to the Rose Bowl Stadium and join him in a skybox with his friends.
Recently in Maryville, TN, wearing FSU apparel led to a fun evening with a former Broadway actor Christine Hamilton who, like my wife, her four siblings, and her mother and grandmother, graduated from FSU.
Wearing your school colors isn’t just nostalgia—it’s a conversation starter.
4. Practical Ways to Stay Connected with Your School
Here are actionable ways to leverage your alma mater:
Attend alumni events and reunions- they provide immediate networking opportunities. Brian Wallace wrote a great article for the Association for Talent Development (ATD) (ATD), Unlock Your Future: 10 Benefits of a Strong Alumni Network, that highlights the importance of participating in alumni events.
Mentor students—help the next generation while reinforcing your own experience.
Guest lecture or offer advice sessions—I’ll be guest lecturing this fall at my undergraduate alma mater, Florida Southern College.
Connect via platforms and alumni associations—fresh alumni can offer current context and insider insights, as Pacific University chronicles in How a Strong Alumni Network Can Benefit Students.
5. Final Thoughts & Call to Action
Stay connected.
Support your alma mater.
When you do, you enrich your life—and theirs—with opportunities, trust, and possibility.
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