What does an Alumni Relations Manager do? I was recently asked a simple but insightful question when I told my previous Year 7 (RS) class that I would be focusing solely on this role after the maternity cover ended: "So, what do you actually do?" The question posed tends to come with a variety of assumptions, some accurate… others, not so much. 

 I think the role of an alumni professional has changed over time too so I can at least share my thoughts as to what it is now for me. At its heart, alumni engagement in education is all about nurturing lasting, meaningful relationships between a school and its former students—and often, past staff too. It's about building a community grounded in People, Purpose, and Belonging. While the most visible parts of the role are reunions, newsletters, or events, the impact of alumni engagement runs much deeper supporting everything from admissions and working alongside Mrs Dawson and her fabulous career guidance to enhancing the school's wider reputation in all ways. 

 Before I officially took on this role, I made sure to read The Alumni Way by Maria L Gallo, EdD who captures it perfectly in the words "Alumni are the only permanent stakeholder of the institution and as alumni citizens in the wider world they are the informal ambassadors for the institution." The work is rich in complexity. Alumni are a wonderfully diverse group, each with unique journeys, interests, and evolving connections to their former school, testament to the equally rich bespoke educational journey The Queen's School offers. As such no two days are the same, no two alumnae are the same – quite rightly. Engagement might mean supporting current students as they help with alumnae events, connecting members, celebrating achievements, requesting and accepting help in all its guises, or simply keeping in touch with the community they helped shape. 

 This role is to understand those shifting connections across life stages, and to create timely, relevant ways—both online and in person—for alumnae to engage in ways that truly resonate with them personally. Back in the Year 7 classroom, we spent some time exploring the relationship between beliefs and actions—how what we believe shapes what we do, what we say… just think of all the verbs! The students were set a short research and presentation task, focusing on an individual whose actions reflect their core beliefs. 

 To inspire them, I introduced case studies of our alumnae, featured both in school and on our website. These real-life examples continue to illustrate the powerful connection between belief and action but also offer the students relatable role models—individuals who once sat where they are now and have since gone on to forge meaningful paths. I think it represents perfectly the continuous relationship with Queen's with all Queen's girls past present and future. 

 Hopefully, this gives you a glimpse into what I do—and why it matters to the most important people – The Queen's School Alumni community. Once a Queen's girls always a Queen's girl.