A Look Inside Senior May Project 2025

One of my favorite parts of the internship was interviewing retiring faculty. I learned fascinating things about their careers—stories I had never heard before, even as a student. I also got to explore Brookside, a part of campus I hadn’t spent much time in until now. Being trusted to contribute stories and content for alumni communications made the experience feel meaningful. I could actually see the impact of what I was doing—especially when we started distributing the auction prizes from Window to the World. Watching the inventory leave the office as prizes were claimed made all the organizing feel worth it. That being said, if I never have to stuff another 800 reunion nametags again, I’ll be okay!

I also got a behind-the-scenes look at how much effort goes into Alumni Reunion Weekend—from data management and nametag prep to event logistics and volunteer coordination. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the work that happens year-round to keep the alumni community strong and engaged.

All of this made me even more excited about continuing my relationship with Cranbrook after graduation. As a new alum, I’ve already signed up to volunteer as a Class Agent. One of my goals is to help increase participation across our class—and the whole alumni base. I’ve come to understand how important alumni volunteers are to keeping the Cranbrook network vibrant, and how much the Advancement and Alumni Relations Office does to support those efforts.

I’ve proposed a few ideas to make the Class Agent program even more effective. One of them is to form small regional teams—or “Peapods”—so Class Agents can collaborate more easily within their time zones and support one another. Each group would have a leader to help share updates and gather feedback, creating more consistent communication without adding to the time commitment. It’s a small change that could make a big difference.

While I was working in the advancement office, my classmates were busy learning new things at their Senior May Projects - on other parts of campus, in other parts of Michigan, and even in other parts of the world. In my work I had a chance to see some of my classmates in action at Brookside, where they were working as classroom assistants. Another friend worked at a public library. Two classmates got to shadow a judge for their Senior May Project and learn all about the justice system. One classmate who had connected with alumnus and Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski '91 when he was on campus this fall traveled to Poland for Senior May Project and worked on his presidential campaign!

Most everyone I talked to felt that Senior May Project was a great way to finish out the year. I’m leaving this internship with stronger communication and organizational skills, a better understanding of how our alumni network works, and a real sense of connection to the community I’ve grown up in. I’m proud to be a Cranbrook alum—and I’m ready to stay involved.

Shanzay Ali '25, Senior May Project Intern, Cranbrook Schools Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations

Read my interview with departing vocal music instructor Jim Gabriel by clicking here.
Read my interview with retiring Brookside librarian Laura Marmorstein by clicking here.

Go to the Alumni Welcome Page 
Go to the Reunion Information Page