ISB’s alumni network – 'Once a Dragon, always a Dragon'

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a member of the ISB community is how your family’s connection to us is ongoing. This is best exemplified by our established alumni network and the benefits enjoyed by current and former students and their families. 

An alumni network is one of the key criteria to choose an international school. Having access to ISB’s alumni network is a valuable tool for both graduates and current students. It’s also a great way for alumni families to stay connected and give back to the school and enrich the experience for the next generation of students. 

But what are these benefits and how can you make sure your child has access to them now as a student and again in the future? 

When you become a member of the ISB community and the alumni network, you are choosing to remain engaged and active in a community that has much to offer. Our network’s three-pronged mission is to connect, give back, and grow.

Benefits for current students

Many educational institutions offer some form of alumni programming. At ISB, we understand the value and benefits a vibrant network of alumni can offer students, be they current or former. 

Our active alumni community is welcoming to all, even if your child only attended ISB for a short time.

Here are three ways your child can experience the benefits of having access to a robust alumni network.

Learn more about how ISB fosters a sense of community in our student body and how it is foundational to keeping this energy going once they graduate.

Mentorship and guidance

One of the dominant benefits of a robust alumni network is access to mentorship opportunities from within the community. ISB’s alumni network spans the world, so there’s a high chance your child can connect with an alumni who can provide specific guidance based on their individual needs. 

Tiffany Fung, ISB Class of 2017, says current students can easily connect with alumni via the online alumni network platform as well as Facebook groups and LinkedIn. Students have the opportunity to connect with alumni who have studied or currently attend their same university of choice. Finding an alumni with a similar career path is a valuable resource for guidance.

“Having an alumni as a mentor is extremely helpful as they are able to provide not only career advice and interview tips, but also can connect you with other industry professionals for an internship opportunity.”

Ms. Fung says it's been exciting mentoring a friend’s younger sister by providing guidance on her portfolio and even connecting her with students currently studying the same major she is applying for. 

Internship opportunities

As mentioned by Ms. Fung, students can access exclusive internship opportunities thanks to connections from the ISB alumni network. Internships often require an educational component, making them an excellent way for students to get a broad introduction to their chosen career.

Not only are these opportunities valuable and enriching for your child, any chance they can showcase their dedication and drive for their goals is an excellent way to show future college admissions officers that they are serious about their goals and make excellent candidates for a university admissions committee. 

Global focus

Much like our student body, ISB’s alumni network touches all corners of the world. 

Our message of inclusiveness is reemphasized via our alumni network, which encourages international-mindedness and passes this message down to the current students they engage with. 

Additionally, by showcasing the places graduates have landed after their time at ISB, it highlights to our current students the many options they have for their future. 

Alumni networks also encourage a global mindset by expanding our community to encompass more people. This expansive network is diverse and welcoming to all members, reinforcing the alumni network’s mission to connect, give back, and expand. Discover the 3 ways to nurture global citizenship in children.

Benefits for graduates

An alumni network isn’t just a way to keep tabs on former classmates – we have social media for that. 

ISB graduates who engage with the alumni network are continuing a tradition of carrying forward ISB’s mission statement to future generations, and maintaining the vibrant social circle they enjoyed during their time at school. 

Here are three benefits of building an alumni network as experienced by ISB’s alumni:

Stay up-to-date with ISB

Social media might tell you what your old friends and faculty from school are up to, but for graduates who want to remain engaged with ISB, the alumni network is the perfect opportunity to do so. 

According to Jerry Oldfield, who oversees the Alumni Network as ISB’s Director of Advancement, many alumni come back to ISB to give talks, keynote speeches, and even actively participate in the faculty hiring process or come back as faculty themselves.

“The purpose of an alumni association is to offer a common place for alumni to connect, to have a sense of belonging and keep memories alive, to support the promotion of ISB,” says Mrs. Oldfield.

ISB alumni are also welcomed to provide feedback to the school, and are often involved in important decisions regarding the future of ISB. This can include discussions of new facilities, new faculty, or as panelists for student competitions.

“We reach out to their peers, friends, old teachers, administrators, parents, or community members who are also key opinion leaders for encouragement,” says Ms. Oldfield. 

Our alumni network is heavily involved in fundraising for the school, so any former student interested in giving back to the ISB community via financial means is provided a number of opportunities throughout the year. 

Give back to new generations 

One of the most important things anyone can do is provide guidance and support to young people who are where you have once been. Our experiences and the lessons we’ve learned from them are invaluable to our students, and by sharing this information with as many as we can, we are making the world a better place.

Many of our current alumni will have benefited from the network when they were students themselves, and by paying it forward to younger students, ISB’s alumni are actively improving the world around them.

Tiffany Fung made note of an impactful experience with alumni who returned to ISB to give a talk on transferring to university life.

“It was really inspiring to hear how they've taken what they learned at ISB and applied it to their courses. The alumni were all attending universities in different fields and industries, so it was interesting to hear how college life allowed them to learn more about themselves and their professional career.”

Make global connections

Much like how our current students can benefit from connecting with alumni, alumni can benefit from each other as well. An engaged membership to ISB’s network opens up many opportunities for collaboration across borders or even around the world. 

Many alumni networks encourage their members to connect with each other for job opportunities, events, initiatives, discussions, and more. Our alumni network is a wealth of experience and information that is waiting to be unlocked, and by reaching out to make these connections, our alumni push ISB’s global reach even further.