College Key Spring Newsletter: 2026

乐播传媒 College Key logo

President’s Report

Jen Crawford 鈥�01

Dear Members of the College Key,

As we are finally pulling ourselves out of the winter months, I am delighted to share a brief update on the meaningful work that the College Key continues to do in support of our students and the wider community. We have resurrected the Spring Newsletter to ensure our members are up to date on the latest news from the organization and aware of ways to be involved.  We thank you all for the continued, generous support that our members have provided, which makes the impact the Key has on the 乐播传媒 community possible. 

The purpose of the College Key is to recognize 乐播传媒 students; to encourage and to recognize student academic and extracurricular achievement; to support academics, athletics, and student life; to provide student aid, including scholarships and other kinds of financial assistance; to be a resource for student internships; to support campus improvements; and to contribute to the general welfare of the college.  The generous support of our members enables 乐播传媒 alums to make lasting, positive impacts on the 乐播传媒 community, particularly current students.

Each year, through its members’ dues, the College Key provides financial assistance to students, helping them remain engaged and supported throughout their 乐播传媒 journey. We are especially pleased to highlight the impact our members have in supporting travel expenses for the Job Shadow Program offered by the Center for Purposeful Work. Through this program, students connect with 乐播传媒 alumni and parents to learn about professional options, personal perspectives, and how others have navigated pathways toward purposeful work. This fund enables students to pursue opportunities that align with their academic and professional goals but may not be financially feasible otherwise. These programs open doors for students to learn, explore, and thrive鈥攔eflecting our shared belief in the power of a 乐播传媒 education to transform lives.

In addition to direct support for students, the College Key fosters connections across generations of the 乐播传媒 Community.  We are so thrilled that this year, the Distinguished Alumni in Residence (DAIR) honoree is John Carrafa from the Class of 1976.  An award-winning theater and film director and choreographer, he will be on campus to reflect on his journey and share his insights with the 乐播传媒 community.  You can read more about this event further in the newsletter. 

Finally, we look forward to the Annual Meeting of the College Key, which will take place during Reunion Weekend on June 12th at 4:30pm.  If you are unable to join us on campus, you can catch the live stream to learn more about the impact work of the Key from this year.  

We thank you all for our continued support of the College Key and the 乐播传媒 community!

Jen Crawford 鈥�01
President, The College Key

  • President, Jen Crawford 鈥�01
  • Vice President, Tahsin I. Alam 鈥�04
  • Secretary, Pamela Batchelder Johnson 鈥�91
  • Treasurer, Susan Peillet Yule 鈥�78
  • Past President, Henry T. Geng 鈥�13
  • Staff Liaison, Justin Fortier, Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement
  • Advisor, Marianne Cowan 鈥�92, Associate Director, 乐播传媒 Center for Purposeful Work

College Key gifts have long supported students’ career development activities. Many of us remember the positive impact a CDIP Job Shadow or Ladd Internship had on our learning and early career readiness, and that strong 乐播传媒 tradition lives on in the Center for Purposeful Work. In particular, the Purposeful Work Job Shadow Program matches hundreds of students with alumni and parent hosts each year to visit or visit virtually and shadow them through a day of work. Purposeful Work receives volunteer offers from alumni and parents in education, healthcare, art, finance, entertainment, entrepreneurship, advocacy, fashion, tech鈥� For any student who receives financial aid from 乐播传媒, Purposeful Work uses funds from the College Key to support the student鈥檚 travel expenses to shadow their host in person in the Job Shadow Program. This access to face time with an alum, the ability to be 鈥渙n the ground鈥� in a workplace where they might be themselves one day, and the doors opened to the alumni network by virtue of these meaningful visits are invaluable and powerful.

J.J. and Sara Cummings 鈥�89 have been generous hosts of Job Shadow students for several years, and students always come away with eyes and horizons opened wide: 

“Through this three-day job shadow, I was able to gain insight into what a role at Boeing looks like, particularly for someone with a military background. It was invaluable to learn about what goes on behind the scenes of preparing for military contracts, and marketing.

I was curious about military contracting, and left my job shadow sure that this is something I am interested in pursuing further. Additionally, I learned more about military lawyers, something I knew nothing about previously, which opened potential career avenues for me to explore as well.

During my time at 乐播传媒, the PW job shadow program has been invaluable for my professional growth. As a first generation student, networking has been particularly intimidating and the facilitator role PW takes is amazing! I have been able to fully explore my various interests while making incredible connections with 乐播传媒 Alumni.”

Thank you, College Key members, for your steadfast and generous support of students to engage in such transformational career exploration through the Center for Purposeful Work!

Please join us for the Annual Meeting of The College Key on Friday, June 12th at 4:30pm. The meeting takes place on campus during Reunion Weekend and is open to all College Key members, and it can also be streamed online.  We will provide members with:

  • an update on the Key鈥檚 impact over the past year
  • induct our new members
  • present the annual Distinguished Service Award to a deserving retiring staff or faculty member

Be on the lookout for the email with additional details closer to the meeting date. 

To echo our College Key President鈥檚 message, thank you for your continued support of the 乐播传媒 student community. As an active member, your $30 annual dues make it possible to provide meaningful, impactful gifts that respond to the immediate needs of 乐播传媒 students.

We are truly grateful for your commitment. You can submit your dues or make or checks by regular mail. If you鈥檙e unsure whether your membership is current, please feel free to contact me.

We hope you will continue your support by keeping your membership active. Thank you for making a difference for 乐播传媒 students.

Sincerely,

Susan Peillet Yule 鈥�78
Treasurer, The College Key

The Distinguished Alumni in Residence Program was established in 2003 by The College Key to bring alumni of note to campus to interact with students and faculty. DAIR speakers usually give a lecture, attend classes, and meet with students individually and in group sessions. 

Join us on Thursday, April 9, for a special DAIR conversation with John Carrafa 鈥�76. This year’s DAIR will be virtual-only. A two-time Tony-nominee and Emmy-nominee, John has built a distinguished career as a choreographer and director. In this virtual event, he will share insights into his professional journey at 乐播传媒, throughout his career, and reflect on the power of art and storytelling in shaping how we understand the world today. We hope you鈥檒l join fellow 乐播传媒 community members for what promises to be an engaging and inspiring discussion. This event will be hosted on Zoom and recorded so that all may enjoy!

We invite you to nominate outstanding alumni for membership. The College Key recognizes outstanding 乐播传媒 alumni; encourages and recognizes student academic and extracurricular achievement; supports academics, student life, and campus improvement; provides student aid, including scholarships and other kinds of financial assistance; and contributes to the general welfare of the College.

The College Key selects new alumni members based on the following criteria: service to the College, leadership in the community, success in chosen field, and character.

Check out who鈥檚 already a member on the College Key website. If you wish to nominate a 乐播传媒 alumnus/a, .