The Hoya Gateway program will launch May 6, connecting students and alumni for one-on-one advice, informational interviews and resume reviews.

After a year and a half of pilot programs, the official launch will include alumni and students in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco this summer. All students, however, will have the opportunity to participate on campus during the academic year.

According to Associate Director of Alumni Career Services Whitney Pezza, Jeff Chapski (MSB ’91), a member of the Georgetown Alumni Association Board of Governors, envisioned Hoya Gateway more than two years ago.

“It was obvious from day one that our alumni are tremendously passionate about Georgetown and especially interested in connecting with students,” Pezza wrote in an email. “Hoya Gateway is what the Georgetown Alumni Association is all about — maintaining a connection between students and alumni in order to both foster the Georgetown spirit and continue to build relationships within the broader Georgetown community.”

Hoya Gateway features alumni in an array of fields including entertainment and media, finance, government, health and medicine and technology. Represented companies include Deloitte, Skadden, JP Morgan Chase, Major League Baseball and various nonprofit and business endeavors.

“It’s important to us that we have rising stars as well as established professionals in order to provide students with a wide range of expertise,” Pezza wrote.

Hoya Gateway student ambassador Gabrielle Gold (COL ’14) met with Netflix Social Media Director Eric Pallotta (MSB ’07) in Los Angeles, this past winter break. Gold said that he proved to be a good resource.

“Even if you’re unsure about what you want to do or how you’re going to fit into postgrad life, it’s comforting to know Georgetown alums are there to help you, to support you and to guide you on your way,” Gold said.

Chairman of the 1634 Society and student governor on the Georgetown University Alumni Association’s Board of Governors Bryan Satterly (SFS ’13) said that the program helped him determine his career path by allowing him to get a sense of different industries.

“I got to meet and network with people in the career field I’m going into — finance — so that was a huge help when I was looking for jobs and trying to figure out what I wanted,” Satterly said.

Although the 1634 Society and Hoya Gateway both work to foster alumni connections with Georgetown, the two orient toward different aims. The 1634 Society focuses primarily on keeping alumni in touch with the university and to encourage them to give back, such as educating alumni about the Campaign for Georgetown. On the other hand, Hoya Gateway specifically allows alumni to become mentors to current students, advising them on job opportunities and the working world.

Pezza said he envisioned that the gateway would expand domestically and internationally, in addition to incorporating technology.

“One long-term goal is that every Georgetown student will meet with an alumnus one-on-one through Hoya Gateway for a meaningful, career-related conversation before graduation,” Pezza wrote.

Participant Devon George (MSB ’01), who is also involved in the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance, said that he was excited about the rate of alumni participation.

“I’ve never seen so many Hoyas get excited to help so many undergraduate Hoyas,” George said. “Usually people don’t have time, or they aren’t available or they aren’t sure they understand it. In my experience so far, this is the most successful alumni initiative to bring together alumni and undergraduates for mentoring opportunities.”