"We are family!"

Last week SOM alumni received an email from Dean Oster giving a characteristic kick in the pants. The email basically reminded all of those alums that students are on the job market and that we all have a responsibility to help each other as members of this community, especially in this dreary economic climate.Almost every single one of those alums had Sharon Oster as a professor. They remember lessons about trade and tariffs and marginal utility...and they remember her passion for teaching at SOM. Within a few hours of her email, Dean Oster had received hundreds of responses, many with job postings. It's a small world of SOM alum, students, faculty and staff, and all of them are dedicated to the community. I had the experience first hand when I was looking for a position with an organization lead by an SOM alum. The alum (despite her very busy schedule) quickly took an active role in my job process, and ultimately hired me. Dean Oster sent out a reminder to alums, not as a guilt trip, but really because she knows how much they care about us and about each other. In this economy jobs are hard to find, and it's important to know we have a team cheering for us. And, as one alum said in their response to the email, "We are family! That's why I love SOM!!!"