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Finding your North Star: aligning your purpose and your paycheck
December 18, 2020 — “Finding what we love doing, what we’re good at, and what the world is calling us to do is akin to finding one’s North Star,” says Mike Bishop, director of student leadership for the Office of Engagement Initiatives (OEI) at Cornell University. For the past five years, OEI has contributed to the culture of public engagement at Cornell and worked to make engaged learning a hallmark of the undergraduate student experience.
In addition to courses, programs, and residential life offerings for students, OEI connects Cornell students and Cornell alumni via engaged learning experiences in their communities. Mike says that one of the most valuable things students take away from these experiences is the ability to listen to alumni and community members and learn from their journeys. From these conversations, students learn that “there are many paths to finding your purpose,” Mike says.
On December 15, Mike moderated “Purpose and Paychecks: Building a Career with Social Impact,” featuring three alumni who shared their career stories with an audience of 175 Cornellians.
Read the full article and find the webinar link on the Cornell Alumni website.
Cornell service centers adapt to virtual environment
November 20, 2020 — With hundreds of community service organizations on Cornell’s campus, many students will partake in some form of service during their time at Cornell.
For students involved with Cornell’s Office of Engagement Initiatives, and for members of one or more of Cornell’s many service associations, service is an integral aspect of everyday life.
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the ILR School — Ian Greer, M.S. ’03, Ph.D. ’05
November 5, 2020 — Ian Greer, an ILR senior research associate who earned his graduate degrees at the school, became the first director of the new ILR Ithaca Co-Lab this past summer.
Modeled after the ILR Buffalo Co-Lab, the ILR Ithaca Co-Lab mobilizes ILR students and researchers to address labor issues relevant to the Ithaca area. Created to strengthen the bond between ILR and Ithaca, the co-lab is just one example of how Greer has served the Ithaca community.
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the ILR School — Alex Eshelman ’22
November 5, 2020 
— Alex Eshelman ’22 has always loved art.
“When I was really little, I loved to color,” Alex said, although he also remembers being told by adults that artists never make money and that he must choose a different career. Years later, however, Alex is combining what he is learning at ILR with his long-time passion for art in work with the New York City-based OPEN DOORS.
Laidlaw Scholars undergraduate program comes to Cornell
October 28, 2020 — Cornell students who are passionate about changing the world can now join an international network of like-minded emerging leaders as Laidlaw Scholars, in the Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program.
The global program – supported by the Laidlaw Foundation, which aims to develop a new generation of engaged global citizens and leaders – partners with 12 international universities to promote value-driven ethical leadership, cultural diversity and integrity, encouraging undergraduates to become active global citizens and leaders. The program’s key components teach Laidlaw Scholars to master their skills and invest them to make the world a better place.