Alumni Panel #3

Last Friday, Lawrenceville held its third Alumni and Development Career Panel, a new event occurring once a term where alumni working in particular fields visit campus to give students guidance and ideas for their career paths. To celebrate Women’s History Month, the third panel brought in female alumnus working in law and government.

Vice President of Academic Life Iris Wu ’23 organized the panel. Due to the significant number of employment opportunities that fall under the umbrella of law and government, Wu attempted to choose alumni that would “represent a wide array of paths.” Panelists ranged from associates at large law firms to researchers for the U.S. House of Representatives. Placing an emphasis on Women’s History Month, Wu hoped that attendees “could feel empowered seeing women who had once been in their seats now occupying such admirable and prestigious positions.” The panelists began with a discussion, which was followed by a question and answer session. At the end of the event, attendees also had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with the panelists.

After attending the event, Avianna Zampardi ’24 said she thought the panel was “amazing” because she could see “how the offerings and teaching of Lawrenceville have influenced the careers” of the alumni. She was inspired by how the women continued to be motivated by the transformation of their career. For instance, Zampardi recalled the alumni’s  experiences of spending nights working in “windowless basements,” leading to “sitting in the Capitol among some of the most powerful figures in government.” These monumental moments in their careers further have pushed them to find “solutions with their colleagues to enact change.”  

Ava Jahn ’24 shared a similar sentiment on the panel. Even though “their effect on social policies are not always apparent,” the panelists remained resilient. Jahn learned to “appreciate [her] small accomplishments, as [she] may be able to see the greater picture later down the road.” 

Tabatha Robinson ’08, the Special Assistant Attorney General at the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, gave Lawrentians the advice to “make the most of all that Lawrenceville has to offer, as [they] will never be exposed to as many opportunities and experiences as [they] do now.”

Wu’s reason for hosting these alumni panels is for Lawrentians to realize “that there is a lot of time to decide what they want to do.” She believes that “there is a lot of pressure at Lawrenceville to know what you want to do, start early, and keep at it.” Wu hoped that after hearing the different experiences of alumni working in various fields, students could learn that “there is no one particular definition of success.”