Emily Ball is New President-Elect of the Alumni Association

You might be the youngest president the Alumni Association has had in a very long time.  Why did you decide to run for President of the Association?

I decided to run for President because after being involved with the Board as a member the last few years, I thought it might be a great opportunity to take the Board in a new direction.  I have also learned a great deal from the recent leadership and felt confident that under their guidance I would be prepared to take on the job.

This year you are president-elect and working very closely with Dr. Penny Schwartz, the current president.  What do you hope to accomplish after this year, when you  become president of the Association?

I would like to see a great emphasis on outreach to new alumni, particularly given the recent economic climate.  I am confident that using the CUSSW network is the best way to find your way into a great career, and I would like to make more opportunities for recent alumni to connect with other fantastic alumni.  I would also like to work on empowering our regional networks of alumni outside the New York City area.  I lived in Washington, D.C. for two years after graduating, and there was a great informal network of alumni there.  I'd like to focus on making those networks more formal.

Can you tell us about your career path?

After graduating from CUSSW in 2006, I entered the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services through a program called the Presidential Management Fellowship.  This two year fellowship gave me the opportunity to join the Administration for Children and Families in the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, where I have now worked for the past four and a half years.  I am the Performance Coordinator for my agency, working with program staff to develop metrics to track program achievements as part of our budget justifications.  I am also a project officer for a couple of research contracts.  As part of the two year fellowship, I also had the opportunity to work for the U.S. House of Representatives, for the Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee for a six month detail.

You have been very involved with the Alumni Association since you graduated in 2006.  Can you tell us about some of your experiences as an active alumna?

I immediately got involved with the Alumni Association, mainly because I was hoping to connect with other CUSSW alumni in the Washington D.C. area since I was totally new to the city.  I got involved with organizing informal happy hours, and then worked with the Alumni Office to host an alumni event at my home.  I had a great time meeting new people through these events, and appreciated getting to hear what was going on with the program for new entering students.  It was a great way to stay connected.

What advice do you have for students and alumni regarding involvement in the Association?

I would highly encourage students to tap into the alumni network as a tool in the job search process.  I am always so excited to help with reviewing resumes and trying to connect people with similar interests, particularly for the small group of policy track students, since that was my track!  The social work policy world seems rather small at first, but once you tap into that network, there are many more opportunities, particularly with government organizations.  I would also encourage recent alumni who may have relocated away from New York City to a new area to link back up with the Alumni Office to organize more formal connections with other alumni who might be in that area.  It is a great way to make connections in a new place!

What else would you like folks to know about you?

I graduated from Boston College in 2003 with a major in psychology, then took a year off to join AmeriCorps VISTA as a coordinator for service learning at a community college in Massachusetts.  The VISTA experience really solidified my pursuit of the social work profession, and particularly my interest in the policy track.  I was also a law minor at CUSSW.

What do you see as benefits to being active in the Alumni Association?

I think being active in the Alumni Association is one the best ways to job network these days.  I also appreciate the social benefits, particularly for alumni who relocate to new areas.  It is always great to get together with fellow CUSSW alumni who just "get it" -- and have great conversations about everything from job experiences to politics to social events.

How important do you feel the Association is to your professional and personal aspirations? 

Being involved with the Alumni Association has certainly been a great opportunity for me personally to make connections with folks that I would not have otherwise met.  I've also really enjoyed getting to know the wider community of Columbia University Alumni Leaders.  More importantly, I feel like I've been able to share my experiences and the knowledge I've gained with recent alumni to help them secure the job placements that they are looking for.  I also love those moments when I am able to connect two people who would not have otherwise met.  Making connections -- regardless of whether it is for job or social purposes -- is such a easy thing to do, and I so enjoy being the catalyst.