Answering the Call

Following their Commencement, most Lions look forward to vacation, relaxation and college preparation. But a select few return to campus during the summer months to support the School they loved as students.   

 

Formally starting in 2012, the Office of Development and Alumni Relations has recruited a handful of graduating seniors to join the team as summer interns. From organizing files to writing content for the website, these young men are given the opportunity to assume, as the Statement of Purpose puts it, “leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.” 

 

“I was surprised by the autonomy we had in scheduling events and completing our various tasks and responsibilities,” Shreyan Daulat ’23 said. “That independence allowed us to grow closer as a group and do things in an efficient way that made sense to us.” 

 

A key focus of the interns’ efforts is helping St. Mark’s engage with fellow alumni and drive support for the St. Mark’s Fund. The School has long enjoyed more than 50% alumni participation in the annual fund. With June 30 marking the end of the fiscal year, the push to meet or exceed participation goals can be challenging, but the conversations with alumni themselves are equally rewarding. 

 

“There were so many alumni who were so grateful and excited to talk,” said Bowden Slates ’23. “It was sometimes daunting to strike up a conversation with someone who graduated 50 years ago, but as soon as I tell them I’m a Marksman, there’s an instant connection.” 

 

The strong bonds formed in the classrooms and on playing fields carry into the Development office. 

 

“My favorite aspect of the program is simply just getting to know these impressive young men on a deeper level,” said Jack Mallick ’14, Ahlberg & Ribman Family Director of Alumni Relations. “They bring a shot of energy to the office that propels us through the summer.” 

 

Several interns relied on their journalism and photography experience to assist the communications team with projects. Being a 2023 Presidential Scholar in the Arts finalist for photography, Charlie Estess ’23 had the opportunity to shoot unique portraits of community members. 

 

“Working with the communications team on an admission project, I learned more about how much effort the people I thought only focused on student life had to put into other parts of the School and its missions,” Estess said. “One of the biggest takeaways from my time as an intern has definitely been a deeper understanding of the responsibilities that St. Mark’s has outside of day-to-day care for students during the academic year.” 

 

Since 2021, at least one former intern has returned for a second summer as the ‘senior intern.’ He mentors and leads the team in daily tasks and provides savvy counsel along their path to manhood. Austin Williams ’22 happily took on the role this year. 

 

“As the more recent graduates learned the ropes of our job, I was there to answer questions, provide advice and be their backbone,” Williams said. “I was someone they could bounce questions off of as they prepared to enter a new stage of their lives — questions about college, independence and finding a new place to really connect with outside of St. Mark’s.” 

 

The internship program also provides invaluable opportunities to meet with established alumni who are often leaders in their industries. This networking imparts essential life lessons and insights, allowing recent graduates to tap into the network of fellow Marksmen who maintain a strong connection with 10600 Preston Rd. 

 

“I originally joined as a way to give back to the place that raised me,” Estess said. “Being a 12-year Marksman, I owe what I consider my entire life’s growth to this school, and I couldn’t have been more grateful for a chance to stick around my home for a few extra months.”