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In the fall of 2024, shortly after I started my new role as Director of Alumni Relations at Norfolk Academy, I sat at a luncheon for Alumni Relations professionals from other Virginia independent schools and realized that the Norfolk Academy Alumni Career Connections Program is truly unique. Founded by Ruth Acra ’86 more than 25 years ago, the program goes beyond making connections or providing advice; it places students and alums in internship positions. The program’s goal is to connect current students and young alumni with alumni and Academy friends who are already established in the workforce.

Through this program, the Norfolk Academy Alumni Association, supported by the Alumni Board, strives to provide Upper School students with internship and shadowing opportunities that enable them to pursue genuine interests beyond the curricular offerings of the school, broadening their experiences and readying them for life beyond Norfolk Academy. The program also offers college-age alumni the chance to gain insight into career opportunities and first-job prospects. The internship offerings range from single-day shadowing opportunities to summer-long, paid internships. The variety of offerings meets the varied needs of NA students and alums, many of whom have travel plans and job prospects that they pursue in addition to Career Connections placements.

The application process opens in the first week of January, and I present the offerings to college-age alums at our annual Holiday Luncheon and to current students at the first chapel after the winter break. The program provides access to both internal and external internship offerings. The internal offerings are provided by partners who have agreed to host an intern and allow the Alumni Association to vet applicants and run the application process. The external offerings require an additional application process through their place of work, but they have also agreed to keep an eye out for Norfolk Academy Career Connections applicants.

In the spring of 2025, the Alumni Association placed 103 students and alums in more than 65 different internships. When we couldn’t place an applicant in one of the positions that they sought, we reached out to them individually and offered to help them find an alternative situation. 

The Norfolk Academy Alumni Career Connections Internship Program provides invaluable opportunities for Bulldogs to learn about careers, make professional connections, and gain experience in the workplace. Many Bulldog alumni have found their professional callings through the program, including me! I worked as an intern in the Norfolk Academy Development Office in 2004, and that experience led me to my current position as the Director of Alumni Relations. This program is just one of the many facets that make a Norfolk Academy education distinctive. All Bulldogs have the opportunity to make the alumni network work for them, not only through social connections but also through real-world work experiences.

- Charlotte Zito ‘99, Director of Alumni Relations

Learn more about the Career Connections Program