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Dear SIS Alumni,

We are living in a time of intense change. Students come to SIS inspired to make an impact, and our goal is to prepare them with the credentials and network that will enable them to sustain that inspiration over the course of a career and a lifetime.

The timing of rapid changes in the federal government and foreign assistance organizations coincides with an important season for upcoming graduates to find jobs that will ‘launch’ them in their global careers. Hiring pauses and other uncertainties are having an immediate, short-term impact on students and recent grads, their job-seeking, and even their internships, experiential learning, and laboratory opportunities.Ìý

This moment calls for resilience, action, and most importantly—each other. One of the greatest strengths of SIS is our people: a dynamic network of alumni, students, faculty, and partners committed to shaping a better, more just, and more interconnected world. Now, more than ever, we need to activate that strength—by supporting one another, creating opportunities, and investing in the next generation of changemakers.

Here are some concrete ways you can make a difference today:

LEAN-IN.

We are strongest when we can see, hear, and learn from each other. Make sure your status as an alumnus/a of SIS-Â鶹Æƽâ°æ is visible on your LinkedIn. Follow the and join our private Commit to responding to outreach from students and other SIS alumni.Ìý

HIRE.

Some of our young professionals will need to pivot their plans as some of SIS’s top employers (including the federal government) pause hiring. If you or someone in your network has jobs for talented, globally minded, solution-oriented individuals with exceptional creative, critical, and integrative thinking skills, SIS graduates are prepared and eager to contribute. Internships, part time, contract, and full-time opportunities are welcome. Please submit any opportunities or contact the SIS Career Office: siscareer@american.edu.Ìý

GIVE.

For those who may be in a position to help, please consider supporting students or faculty whose opportunities have been destabilized by Contact us at sisadvancement@american.edu to support one or more of these critical areas:

• SIS Emergency Fund helps students facing unexpected financial hardship, such as the loss of a job, health emergency, or change in family circumstances.
• Scholarships provide essential support and validation to students pursuing international service, sending a clear signal that our alumni network believes in their success.
• Student Support Funds ensure that financial barriers don’t prevent students from accessing transformative experiences like study abroad and internship funding—opportunities that shape careers and open doors.
• Research & Innovation Funding enables faculty and students to generate new knowledge and advance the critical conversations and solutions that define our times, such as climate, technology, immigration, peace, and security.

SIS is more than an academic institution—we are a global community of impact. Let’s ensure the SIS network is strong, connected, and show how we are invested in each other’s success and unshakable dedication to global service.ÌýWe are extremely grateful for the efforts of those who may be in a position to help. Thank you for all that you do to make this community what it is.

Shannon L. Hader
Dean, School of International Service