APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University Department of Athletics recently hosted the Young Alumni Panel to connect current student-athletes with recent graduates. 
    The panel featured four Lawrence graduates with Lawrence's current student-athletes in a partnership with the Department of Athletics, Advancement and the Career Center. The event was held in conjunction with Forever a Lawrentian, a three-day event connecting students with the Lawrence University Alumni Association (LUAA).
    "Thank you to our campus partners, Danielle Kolman in the Career Center and Cole Hepburn in Advancement, for helping organize and coordinate this panel for our student-athletes," Lawrence Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Operations Michelle Detwiler. "The student-athlete experience continues to grow, enhance and develop at here Lawrence because of campus partnerships and the dedication from staff."
    The panelists were Danielle Dixon and Gabriel Baker from the class of 2020, Nora Robinson from the class of 2021 and Brad Sendell from the class of 2022. Dixon played women's soccer at Lawrence and is a first grade teacher. Baker, who played football and was a track and field athlete, is a senior financial analyst II at Amazon and a member of LUAA Board of Directors. Robinson, who was a sprinter for the women's track team, works as Lawrence's assistant director of alumni engagement. Sendell, the men's basketball career scoring leader, is the assistant professional at North Shore Golf Club and and an assistant coach for the men's basketball team. 
    The discussion, which was moderated by current women's soccer player and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Co-Chair Kaitlyn Khazen, provided current student-athletes the opportunity to learn from recent graduates on the transition to life after sport, according to Detwiler. It also explored how their participation in sports has given them the skills and tools to be successful in their careers and how being a Lawrence student-athlete in particular has helped them in life, Detwiler said. 
    "It was such a special room to be in to watch our current Lawrence student-athletes connect with our alums," Detwiler said. "The impact and insight from our alums does not go unnoticed and continues to help enhance and positively impact our student-athletes. We are thankful for our alums for taking the time to connect, share their experiences and answer questions from our current student-athletes."
    More than 70 Lawrence student-athletes were in attendance and several shared some of the most important things they learned. A sampling from the student-athletes included learning to compartmentalize to taking advantage of resources available at Lawrence to utilizing skills and knowledge from sport and implementing them in the working world.
    Lawrence, which has been competing in intercollegiate athletics for more than 130 years, sponsors 22 teams and will add two more in the next academic year when men's and women's lacrosse begin play.