Leah Heister '08 remembers receiving helpful career advice from returning Knox College alumni when she was an undergraduate, and now, she says, it's her turn to "pay that forward and give back to Knox."

Heister, director of development for a New York City hospital and health care system, and more than a dozen other Knox alumni and friends participated in mock interviews and a networking session with current Knox students. The October 17 event was organized by the Bastian Family Career Center.

Heister was impressed with the students she met.

"The caliber of student at Knox is outstanding, and it makes me very proud to be an alum," she said. "It's so incredible to hear everyone's stories because they're so diverse."

Maurice Harris '08, a planner with the State of Missouri Department of Economic Development, said he stressed to students that they have a wide range of opportunities ahead of them.

Their future path might not be "a simple road," he added. "There will be some bumps, but we learn from those bumps."

Students said they benefited by spending time with alumni.

Devin Compton, a senior who is interested in a marketing career, interviewed with international businessman Gary Moses '65.

"He looked at my resume and noticed I was involved with a lot of things," Compton said. "He said that's something that you want to have because it shows you're not just in a bubble."

"It's always a valuable experience to go through the interview process because that's exactly what we're going to be doing when we get out of college," said senior Gabrielle Charles.