Author: Stephanie Yee, C’08
Have you ever heard someone talk about their job or career, and think, “Wow, that’s so interesting. I wish I could do that.” I get that feeling every time I attend a Penn Alumni speaker series event. I hear Penn’s Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jerome Allen (W’09) speak and I think, “I should have played more sports.” I hear Kristin Haskins Simms (C’93), a contestant on Project Runway’s Season 8, speak and I think, “I should really learn how to sew, or at least finish my knitting project.” The great thing about meeting Penn alumni is you realize a Penn education can lead to a successful career in any field – let it be athletics or fashion design.
Waiting for Superman movie poster
A few weeks ago, I attended “No More Waiting: Remaking Urban Education Today, a conversation with Charles B. Adams, W’91.” The event was hosted by Penn’s Multicultural Outreach in conjunction with the Center for Africana Studies. Charles B. Adams is Head of The SEED School of Washington, D.C., and he is featured in the award-winning documentary, Waiting for Superman. He spoke about his experiences at Penn, where he studied marketing, his short-lived law career (he went to law school but never practiced law), and how he got into teaching. When the event ended, I asked Mr. Adams how Penn alumni can get involved in education to make an impact in their communities. He suggested tutoring students and providing meeting space where students can practice giving presentations in professional settings.
Penn alumni are incredibly inspiring, and it is always so nice to hear them talk about why they came to Penn and how their experiences at Penn paved the way for their successful career. They give great advice to current students and alumni who are interested in their field, and they remind us all why it is so special to be a member of the Penn community. Keep an eye out for future speaker series events. You will most likely see me there.
Frankly Penn 