Allegheny’s unique approach to education has always been a central part of its identity, and with the newly launched podcast “Gators on Purpose,” host and Faculty Liason to the Center for Career & Professional Development Briana Lewis, who is also an associate professor of French, highlights that quality by telling the stories of how Allegheny’s “unusual combinations” have impacted alumni.
“I also want to explore the ways in which our graduates are having meaningful careers and how their Allegheny education is positioning them to have professional lives where they have a sense of purpose,” Lewis said. “That’s a really hard thing to have data show, it’s really difficult to have to look at numbers and say, ‘Look, this person feels fulfilled and feels like their career has been meaningful.’ Where that information lives is in stories and so that’s where the idea of a podcast came from. Let’s get people, Allegheny graduates, to tell their stories and try to communicate that information that way ”
The first episode of “Gators on Purpose” is now available for listening wherever you get your podcasts. Episode one featured a familiar face — or rather voice — for many members of the Allegheny community: President Ron Cole, ’87.
“It was a relatively easy decision,” Lewis said about her choice for the first guest. “I think the reason for that is the rest of the project is unfamiliar — let’s start with somebody who is familiar to the Allegheny community. And he has a really interesting story to tell, and you aren’t going to find somebody who is more enthusiastic about Allegheny.”
New episodes are to be released every month highlighting alumni from across 35 years in a wide variety of careers, from working for the NFL and NASA to nonprofit administration.
“These conversations are so much fun to have,” Lewis said. “And with one exception, which is episode one, where I interviewed President Cole, every one of the alums that I’ve interviewed has been someone I didn’t know before this. It’s been really rewarding to engage with folks who have such interesting stories to tell.”
“Gators on Purpose” highlights what makes Allegheny so special, according to the Apple Podcast description. “From campus to career, every Gator has a story that’s uniquely their own, stories of curiosity and unusual combinations of interest, fueled by creativity and a supportive community,” it states. “These stories remind us that Allegheny College doesn’t just prepare you for a job, it prepares you for a life lived on purpose”
These unique interests and experiences are what make Allegheny alumni stand out and have allowed them to thrive professionally.
“I would like to, obviously, show that our graduates have been successful,” Lewis said. “But what has been so interesting is that most of my conversations with them have not been about all of the amazing wonderful successes they’ve had and all the big piles of money they’ve made — that’s not what we’re talking about. What we’re talking about is how happy and grateful they have been to be able to contribute something of value to the world, and their education at Allegheny helped them do that, too. I think my goal is to showcase that richness of the lives that they have gone on to lead after graduation.”
