At Northwestern University, we encourage students to explore their career options from their first week on campus. We tout our strong alumni network as a critical resource for their journey. For the last eight years, we have connected students and alumni through the Waldron Student-Alumni Connections Program, serving students from the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. Now, we have launched an innovative AI-powered tool called Ask a Wildcat, which scales these connections in a simple and inclusive way. Students can submit their career exploration questions, and Ask a Wildcat finds the most relevant alumni who can help. These connections lead to robust exchanges via email, calls, and in-person conversations (and all without needing anyone to sign up for an app). Within the first five months of launching the tool, there were 617 alumni responses to 116 questions from students. Of these alumni, 69% had low to no engagement before being contacted through Ask a Wildcat; 21% are prospective donors, which supports our volunteer and fundraising pipelines. The outcomes have surpassed expectations. Students are receiving insights they need to make their career decisions, and our alumni are enjoying the opportunity to help. The overall satisfaction of the tool is 9.14/10 by alumni and students. Students receive an average of two to three alumni responses for each question, directly to their email, with the opportunity to interact further. Ask a Wildcat elevates our commitment to enriching student-alumni interactions and rendering alumni engagement more accessible and efficient.
From the Judges
This program leveraged AI for meaningful alumni engagement, demonstrating impressive participation metrics. Testimonials highlighted the program's potential impact and provided deeper insights into its operations. This innovative approach is not only inspiring but also indicative of a future trend in the industry.
