Building Bridges Among Pioneers

Alumni Engagement offers a virtual community with real heart

From the Fall 2022 issue of Sacred Heart University Magazine

What if there was a social network that only connected you with people affiliated with Sacred Heart? No ads, political memes or people complaining about the latest news. Instead, it’s a place to find commonality and support from fellow Sacred Heart alumni, students, faculty and staff.

Welcome to Pioneers Connect, a digital destination available only to people within the SHU network. Paul J. Sutera, senior vice president of University advancement, envisions Pioneers Connect as “a vehicle for people to come together, connect and reengage with Sacred Heart and their peers. We see this as a living and breathing virtual community without geographic limitations.” The goal is to bring SHU constituencies together, providing opportunities for everything from peer-to-peer mentorship and career opportunities to hosting reunions, making social connections and getting updates on University and SHU Alumni Association happenings.

The platform has similarities to LinkedIn; so why would you need a profile here, too, if you are already on that other site? With popular features similar to other social media platforms, Todd Gibbs, SHU’s executive director for alumni engagement & events, explains what will make Pioneers Connect unique.

“Say you graduated from SHU five years ago and now you’ve landed your dream job. But you’re in an unfamiliar city. You don’t know a lot of people; you feel alone and isolated. You hop onto Pioneers Connect. You search for alums in your area. But better yet, you search for people who were in the SHU band because you played the trumpet for four years. Then maybe you search for people who not only were in band, but also were in the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology like you. Lo and behold, you find a few people, and you agree to meet up for dinner one night after work.”

Once people set up their profiles, they can work with the Office of Alumni Engagement to join or create affinity groups based on almost anything, from sports to academic programs to performing arts. They can get as specific as they want. Gibbs explains, “Did you live in a certain residence hall, on a specific floor and during a certain SHU era? You can create and sustain that group.”

As groups are established, people can push out messaging about reunions and events, seek mentoring support or offer advice. It’s all the things that make SHU such a close-knit and supportive community, extended beyond campus and out into the world.

Gibbs offers another scenario: “Maybe you haven’t landed that dream job yet and you’ve hit a career plateau. Getting some direction and positive affirmation would be great. You are active on Pioneers Connect, so you follow a few simple steps to seek mentorship. The site then matches you with a fellow alum willing to assist and helps you both get in touch.”

An exclusive benefit as a member of the SHU community, Pioneers Connect isn’t just another social media fad. It allows for authentic relationship building across generations of SHU alumni, students, faculty and staff, says Gibbs—a platform bridging the divide between life on campus and the broader world, where Pioneers can connect and help each other.