1/14/18

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into today’s alumni talk and lunch – on the one hand it’s interesting to see what paths other Williams students have taken, and hear the lessons of their experiences, but on the other hand listening to a bunch of strangers tell similar stories can get old after a while, and humoring older people over lunch can be exhausting. I was definitely pleased, though, when it turned out being overwhelmingly dominated by the positive. Even though the talks lasted for more than two hours, each one was interesting and entertaining in its own way. While many of the alums had the same basic message (you never know where life will take you, be ready and eager for everything), their stories, both of coming to Williams and life afterwards, were impressively diverse, and it was amazing to hear about the myriad of paths that took them from Williamstown to Hong Kong. The subsequent lunch provided an opportunity to get to know them more personally, and despite the often decades-wide age gap, I found them very friendly and genuine. We talked a bit about careers and the liberal arts education, but also just about our lives. We talked about their hobbies and interests, and I learned a ton about Hong Kong. I walked away from what I had initially been anticipating would be a lukewarm experience with a wealth of new knowledge and perspective, and am really glad that the alums were able and willing to come and share their stories with us.