“The Alumni Network is Huge:” Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum Forges Career Connections

Now in its 17th year, the Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum returned Sept. 25–26, 2026, to help cadets navigate the sometimes uncertain path from the Institute to the workplace or from the military to a civilian career.

Just over 70 alumni attended this year’s event, with fields represented including health and healthcare, IT/cybersecurity/tech, law enforcement, energy, law, sales and marketing, and transportation/logistics. Alumni were also available to assist with one-on-one resume reviews and discuss post-graduate planning for fields such as law, medicine, and business.

The event began Friday evening with a dinner in Marshall Hall, with seating assigned by majors so attendees with common interests could share information more easily. Offering remarks at the dinner was Whitney Matthews ’07, VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors Outreach Committee chair.

“This is an opportunity for cadets and alumni to meet and begin the networking process,” Matthews explained the next day at the career networking fair. “This is especially important as cadets go out into the world. It’s also an opportunity for the rats to be introduced to the network and to start thinking about their next steps, even though they still have 4 more years at VMI.”

Jocelyn Kolacz ’22 speaks with Cadet Taylor Cleveland, a member of the Rat Mass of 2027+3, at the Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum Sept. 26, 2026.

As always, the main portion of the event kicked off bright and early Saturday morning with presentations for the Rat Mass of 2027+3 in Memorial Hall and a career fair-style event in Cocke Hall, where cadets and alumni could mingle freely.

In Memorial Hall, rats heard remarks from Matthews and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Sal Sferrazza ’07, CEO of Overland AI, a defense technology company. Both emphasized that even now, in their first semester at VMI, rats need to prepare for life beyond the barracks.

A chef and co-owner of a food supply company, Matthews told her listeners that the VMI network is powerful, even for individuals like herself working in a less common industry.

“You can expand your network even if you think there’s no way there’s a VMI grad around,” she counseled, adding that brother rats often know people working in disparate fields. “These alumni are here to help you make this connection.”

Sferrazza, who served as regimental commander in his 1st Class year, likewise stressed the importance of opportunity. “This is a very unique place and a very unique system,” he stated. “You have opportunities laid out in front of you, and you have two choices: You can walk past them, or you can seize them. I challenge you to at least pick some of them, seize them, and start exploring them.”

In Cocke Hall, members of the Classes of 1965–2026 stood ready and willing to chat with cadets throughout the morning.

Representing the nonprofit sector due to his involvement with Valley Supportive Housing in Staunton, Virginia, was Lou Siegel ’65. “I think it’s well worthwhile,” said Siegel, who added that the forum’s yearly schedule is ideal for cadets.

“I think that if a cadet wants to take advantage of this, they’ll probably have to come back more than once so they can develop thought processes,” he noted. “Always ask questions,” was his advice to cadets. “Don’t hold back. Be willing to be open. … Just get as much information as you can.”

Attending the forum for the first time was Drew Craighead ’15, who works in medical device sales, specializing in equipment used in operating rooms.

Roberto “Rob” Robinson ’80 chats with cadets at the Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum Sept. 26, 2026.

“It’s been great connecting with multiple different classes,” he said. “Some people were interested in medical sales. Other people were interested more in going the route of a physician or a PA. We talked to some people who are interested in medical sales. … It’s been great talking to cadets—just trying to encourage people the best I can, and help them move in the right direction they might want to go in or realize this is even an opportunity for them to pursue after graduation. When you’re young, you don’t always realize what’s out there.”

Also new to the event was Cadet Maggie Stanley, a member of the Rat Mass of 2027+3 and a biology major planning a career in medicine. She mentioned that while she’d heard of the VMI alumni network before, seeing it come to life in Cocke Hall made it all the more real.

“Everyone knows that the alumni network is huge, and you can find a connection in pretty much any field you want to go into,” she said. “And so it was really cool to come here today and be able to talk to a bunch of people and see that firsthand. I liked being able to talk to a bunch of different doctors and get ideas of what I could do for experience and whatnot.”

Cadet Abby Plageman ’28, also a biology major, said the forum had helped her clarify some decisions about what she’ll do after graduation. “I have a minor in psychology, and I want to be a physical therapist, but I want to go Air Force Reserve. I’ve just been talking to the Air Force people, the grad students. They helped me realize I probably need to take a gap year. I didn’t really have a set path, but I think I know what I need to do now.”

Justin Tammelin ’09, Alumni Association director of alumni networking and organizer of the event, said the event is vital for building the connections needed to navigate career choices after graduation.

“The Cadet–Alumni Career Networking Forum is consistently described by participants in three words: Connection, mentorship, and opportunity,” Tammelin commented. “This year’s event showcased those qualities once again, with cadets demonstrating a noticeably higher level of engagement, initiating meaningful conversations and actively seeking guidance from alumni. It has been exciting to witness the continued growth of these relationships year after year, and we remain committed to strengthening the VMI alumni network one connection at a time.”

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