Connecting curious minds through conversation
Alumna Sharon Lewis recently participated in our Curious Conversations programme, an initiative to connect alumni with students and recent graduates. She describes her rewarding experience and encourages fellow alumni to join in.
I joined the School during a cross-road period in my life, I was dealing with the empty nest stage and was uncertain about the next step in my career. My LSE education opened the world for me – I have gained so much through career development and life experience, and it has allowed me to work in international development roles in different countries. The network from my course has also been invaluable, putting me in touch with amazing people who I can rely on for advice, support, and friendship.
I truly value opportunities for shared learning so, when I heard about the Curious Conversations programme, I decided to participate. I found the inter-generational aspect of it very appealing, and the format of having one unstructured discussion was a manageable time commitment.
Once I was paired with my Curious Conversations partner – a 2021 graduate from the Department of Government – we exchanged contact details and set up an introductory call to find out what we were interested in discussing. We have been speaking each month since then and we always run out of time before we run out of conversation!
The matching process was handled thoughtfully, and I really appreciate the opportunity to connect with someone from a different generation, and a different professional discipline. I am sure that we have started a lasting friendship thanks to Curious Conversations.
When you bring people from diverse cultures, professional disciplines or ages together, it sparks insights that are impossible to achieve in your daily life. Networking through programmes like Curious Conversations creates opportunities to meet people who come from very different backgrounds, and I am eager to learn from these interactions.
Be curious! You never know who you might meet within the LSE alumni community, and you do not know what sort of discussions you might have. Learning does not stop when you graduate.
Sharon Lewis (Executive MSc Cities 2019)
