Six Ways to Alumni Like A Pro

Alumni Stories
Six Ways to Alumni Like A Pro Banner

You dedicated years to your CCAD education, and we consider you a CCAD family member for life. (Congratulations⁠—you’ve earned it!) But being an alum isn’t just something you are, it’s something you do.

Update & Share

There are two CCAD departments you probably haven’t thought a lot about: Marketing & Communications and Alumni Relations. Both work really hard to tell alumni like you about cool events happening on-campus and off, as well as share updates on ground alumni like you are breaking.

If we send all that info (or interview requests when we want to promote the cool stuff you’re doing after leaving CCAD) to your school email, chances are, you won’t see it. That’s a bummer.

Update your info and share a non-CCAD-email-way to contact you. The Alumni Office will start sending you curated information, events, and career info we think you’d like to know.

As for our Marketing & Communications team, they’re excited to share your stories with the public and news media. They’ll find every possible way to celebrate you and lift up your news of gallery openings, professional honors, or whatever amazing thing you’re doing.

They won’t give your email address away or ask you to undervalue your work. And you can read your story before they share it anywhere. Bookmark this story form: Shareyourstory and whenever you’ve got news—big or small—give them a ring. (And by ring, we mean just fill out that form.)

Network

If you haven’t already done so, follow us on social! This way, you’ll be linked to an incredible network of CCAD alumni who came before you. They can put you in touch with ideas, inspiration, resources, potential clients, future employers, or just a cup of coffee and some solid creative career advice. Find CCAD and your fellow alums here:

Follow—and contribute to—conversations about all things CCAD using the hashtag #ccadalumni. We want to see the amazing things you do after you leave CCAD!

Show your CCAD Pride

As a CCAD alum, you’ll get noticed, talk to interesting people, and network all over the world. Show your college pride as you do all of the above by including CCAD in your bio, mentioning it when talking to media or bloggers for news features, and updating LinkedIn profiles. And don’t forget to wear your CCAD alumni swag and rock the pins, buttons, and tees you’ve collected over the years. Need something new? Check out Ampersand Emporium in person or online (shopccad.org) before heading out as a professional artist or designer. Then wear that stuff all the time. Someone will notice; you’ll be surprised by how many CCAD connections are out there, whether you’re in Columbus or beyond. Plus, as an alum, you’ll be our biggest ambassador for future students and people in the community. Continue to talk about the great work happening at your alma mater wherever you go.

Participate in the future

Show your support for CCAD in other ways, too. Nominate fellow alumni for awards. Share a story from CCAD’s social media. Attend a future Art Fair or an artist lecture. We also host alumni networking events throughout the year. Plus, we need talented alumni like you to lend your expertise to reviewing current students’ work. Maybe you remember an alum helping you with your portfolio, hooking you up with an internship, or offering an idea that influenced an assignment you were working on. Keep up to date on all things alumni here: ccad.edu/alumni.

Stay in touch

Listen up, because we really mean this: We’re so proud of you. You worked hard, and we enjoyed watching you grow as a thinker, as a maker, and as a human. As you’ve learned throughout your time here, the CCAD community is super close-knit, and that doesn’t go away once you leave our campus. We care for you as an alum as much as we cared for you when you were a student. President Melanie Corn is available to you, as is our Career Services Office and job search database Handshake. Plus, our Alumni Office is here to help with whatever you need. Don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]. Your favorite professor would love to hear from you at some point in the future, too. Remember how you needed reminders to “Call Mom” in college? Consider that reminder now to be “Call your CCAD family.” We miss you already.

Pay it forward

Whether you realize it or not, your education was made possible in part by the philanthropy of generous donors, including many alumni who came before you. Alumni participation in giving back to the college is a vote of confidence for CCAD that has an important ripple effect: It inspires the community and companies to get involved as well. Giving also increases the value of your degree. By attracting the best young talent—whether through scholarships or state-of-the-art resources and labs funded by gifts like yours—CCAD will only strengthen its legacy of putting artists and designers out in the world who are ready to catalyze innovation and social change. That’s an alma mater you can be proud of.