Much is made of the close friendships and connections formed on college campuses, but a truer test of that sense of community might actually come after graduation. Whether it is through a Capitol Hill mixer sponsored by the alumni association or two professionals talking over a cup of coffee, stories abound of alumni from Minnesota's private colleges helping one another make social and career connections. Here are three examples.

Making alumni happy hours happen

When Stefanie Holbrook Meunier '99 moved to Rochester from Washington, D.C. several years ago, there were some things she missed — one was her network of "Ole" alumni. Instead of reminiscing about the past, she got busy. Last fall the stay-at-home mom of two began organizing events to help the more than 500 St. Olaf alumni in the area connect.

"In D.C. we had a very good group and a lot of friendships developed. There were tons of Oles around and by the end of my time there I was both attending and organizing events," she said. "So when I started things here, I modeled them after what I'd done in D.C. and I've tried to see what works in Rochester."

So far, she's held several happy hours with about 20 alumni and the first meeting of a book club. The second book club meeting and a family-oriented picnic event for Oles will take place in July.

The differences between the two cities and their respective alumni groups are many, Meunier said. In D.C., the alumni network consisted of "many single people or people who didn't have kids — they were more on-the-go or city types. Here there's a wider spectrum of people and ages and a slower pace."

A wide range of alumni have come to events — even parents of current students. The connection to the college alone gives everyone something to talk about, including parents. "Oles seem to have an unspoken connection that we all share. We've lived the same life for four years and that seems to put everyone at ease."

Meunier wants the book club and the larger network to be self-sustaining one day and ambitious enough to take on activities like volunteering, participating in St. Olaf fundraising and connecting with current students. She stresses, however, that the group is in its beginning stages and that she's still learning about event planning. "The most fun part is when you're actually at an event and everyone is talking and laughing, and people come up to you to say, 'This is so great! We needed someone to do this!'"

Showing alumni the ropes in NYC

When Richard Smykowski graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) in 2000, he felt he had to move to New York City to make use of his degree.

Soon after graduating, Smykowski moved to New York and eventually landed his first job. After working at the SyFy channel and VH1, he's now an art director at Nickelodeon, where he's worked since 2004.

In the years since Smykowski arrived, he's been able to help MCAD alumni in various ways. He's helped select two MCAD students to complete internships at Nickelodeon and also hired several current students and recent graduates to do freelance work. Local artist Andres Guzman '07 got to know Smykowski when he was picked for the Nickelodeon internship, and Smykowski has since hired him to do freelance projects. "He's extremely talented and I think he'll go far," Smykowski said of Guzman.

In addition, Smykowski occasionally meets with an MCAD student or alum who contacts him while visiting New York City and is contemplating moving there; he said he typically agrees to talk with them because "it's always good to meet with people or to pass along information."

Recently Smykowski met with Kevin Wideman '99, a Minneapolis broadcast and graphic designer who is planning a move to New York City soon. They talked about the media world in general and Smykowski was able to give Wideman details specific to making a living as a freelancer there. "I feel now that I have a better sense of what to expect from future prospects and myself once I'm there in New York," Wideman said.

Both Wideman and Smykowski said they've been able to make use of MCAD connections more as they've gotten older and established themselves. "Now more than ever, I've been asking MCAD alums for advice. Richard has always been available to offer sound advice and I would do the same for him," Wideman said.

Climbing the career ladder — and Capitol Hill

It's safe to say that University of St. Thomas alumni Megan Knight '01 and Dennis McGrann '74, '76, '82 have a close connection — in fact, their offices are right down the hall from one another. Both former Tommies are lobbyists at the Washington D.C. office of the law firm Lockridge Grindal Nauen.

The two are part of what McGrann deems an "active and robust" alumni network of about 100 people in D.C. It was that network that helped Knight land her current position.

"I've always wanted to be a lobbyist, ever since I can remember," Knight said. She worked at a Minnesota state senator's office while in college as a work study job, and later landed an apprenticeship with Lockridge Grindal Nauen's Minneapolis office. While working for Tim Pawlenty in 2004, Knight visited D.C. to attend the Bush inauguration.

It was there she had the chance to get to know fellow alumnus McGrann. "It wasn't an 'I need a job' type situation; we just spoke because we were both St. Thomas graduates," Knight said. Months later, McGrann called Knight and offered her a position at Lockridge's D.C. office. "It was a great job and a huge, new opportunity. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime situations and a life-changing decision. I thought, if not now, when?"

Knight moved to D.C. in September of 2005, and became one of an "unknowingly large" network of St. Thomas alumni in the city and surrounding suburbs, she said. She now helps organize a biannual event, sponsored by St. Thomas, for alumni who work on Capitol Hill. The event is held in October at McGrann's home; President Dennis Dease and other university representatives have attended the gathering.

"It's great because every year there is a whole new crop of students and young alumni in D.C. The event is pretty informal, with 20 to 40 people attending. It's a low-key way to gather and exchange contact information if you don't have it," Knight said.

McGrann's connections to St. Thomas have taken many forms over the years, from planning alumni events (he once helped rent an entire Georgetown restaurant to watch a Johnnie-Tommie game) to conducting "literally hundreds" of informational interviews (many with alumni) and hiring several interns from St. Thomas.

The number of alumni in D.C. from Minnesota private colleges is "stunning," McGrann said, and he's always willing to talk to young people who are trying to get into the field or make connections. "I would talk to anyone from Minnesota, but certainly someone from St. Thomas. I'm particularly inclined to help them."