Beyond Barnard started with a bold vision: to guide students and graduates every step of the way as they defined their professional aspirations, pursued their careers, and achieved their success. Five years — and countless advising appointments, information sessions, workshops, and mentorship connections — later, Beyond Barnard continues to achieve that mission every day.
“It has been a really exciting, productive — often quite challenging — five years,” said A-J Aronstein, assistant vice president and senior advisor to the provost. “We’ve gone from an idea about what it could mean to integrate different areas of career support to a high-functioning team that serves just about every single student that walks through Barnard’s gates.”
Since its inception in 2018, Beyond Barnard has made a lasting impact on the College community, with impressive numbers to prove it: 7,500 individuals have taken advantage of events and advising, and the Beyond Barnard team has completed 20,000 individual advising appointments. And the success doesn’t stop at the Barnard gates. Ninety-one percent of alumnae from the Classes of 2018-2022 landed jobs, or were enrolled in graduate school, within six months after graduating.
This impressive growth would not be possible without the committed work of the Beyond Barnard staff and their ongoing collaboration with students and alumnae, faculty, staff, employer partners, parents, family members, and philanthropic organizations.
“It can still feel impressive to step back and look at all the parts that need to move together for an enterprise like this to work,” said Aronstein. “The fact that it does work is a real testament to the enthusiasm of individuals throughout the Barnard community to support one another in achieving their goals.”
As Beyond Barnard celebrates its five-year anniversary, take a look back at some of the office’s major milestones.
2018: Beyond Barnard Is Born
When President Sian Leah Beilock joined Barnard in 2017, one of her goals was to reimagine the school’s career services office. How could the College better integrate career development, internship funding, campus jobs, fellowships, and applications to graduate and professional school under one umbrella? she wondered. Beyond Barnard was born out of that thinking.
“One thing I realized right off the bat was that we really needed a one-stop shop where students could go to think about their experiences at Barnard outside the classroom,” President Beilock told The New York Times in 2018.
2019: Barnard Connect Facilitates Mentorships
Part of what makes Barnard special is its alumnae community. With years of collective experience across industries — art conservation, climate and sustainability, food, and athletics, to name just a few — alumnae are some of the most valuable sources of career insight.
In 2019, Beyond Barnard launched Barnard Connect, an online platform where the College’s network of alumnae can share professional expertise with fellow Barnard community members. The network now has more than 4,500 student and alumnae users.
Your major does not dictate your career path. We teach our exceptional young women to think across disciplines.
2020: The Summer Colloquium Keeps Community Connected
The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop Beyond Barnard from doing what it does best: bringing the community together to help each other succeed professionally. In 2020, the office offered the first-ever Summer Colloquium to equip students, alumnae, and recent graduates with professional resources to build their skill sets. The new offering consisted of more than 80 virtual programs, with a cadre of workshops on résumé building, graduate school and Fulbright applications, Barnard’s 4+1 Pathways program, and more. The colloquium was such a success that Beyond Barnard hosted it again in 2021.
2021: New Partnerships Expand Opportunities
Beyond Barnard knows that more can be accomplished through teamwork. That’s why in 2021, the office looked outward for ways to fuel research and internship opportunities for students. New partnerships included Bridgewater Associates, which provides financial support for young women pursuing academic study in economics, math, statistics, and computer science; the Laidlaw Foundation, which empowers students to create meaningful change through research and leadership development; and GRoW @ Annenberg, which provides funding for students completing summer internships in arts organizations.
2022: Beyond Barnard Breaks Its Fulbright Record
Time and time again, Barnard students and alumnae have secured prestigious international research opportunities. In 2022, Barnard was recognized as one of five U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2021-2022 Fulbright U.S. Students and Fulbright U.S. Scholars by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The 2022 cohort consisted of a record-breaking 21 semifinalists and 11 recipients.
