Deacon Spotlight: Maggie Kuhn
Maggie Kuhn (2021, BA in Sociology and Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies)
Assistant Director, Student and Alumni Connections at Columbia University in New York, NY
Tell us about your current job role and employer. What are you currently working on?
I work at Columbia University on the Columbia College Alumni Relations Team. My role oversees a variety of programs, events, and resources encouraging both personal and professional connections between students and alumni. I partner closely with a range of campus groups, clubs, and offices, as well as student and alumni volunteers.
I am currently working on running our pairing algorithm for the Odyssey Mentoring Program, an online mentoring platform that facilitates formal mentoring matches between students and alumni. I am also currently in the thick of managing our Alumni-Hosted Dinners program, in which roughly 200 students and 40 alumni gather for dinner across NYC each semester.
What key personal and/or career experiences led you to where you are today?
I’ve noticed that my most pivotal life decisions are always informed by my relationships and potential opportunities for growth. Looking back, I can pinpoint specific moments when I chose to go with what “felt right,” which, when I really break that down, means the decision I made aligned with my two biggest values: connection and curiosity.
Like many alumni after graduation, I needed some direction, so I started signing up for APCDC programs. Not only did I benefit from the reflective guidance of the Young Alumni Mentoring Group and energizing career workshops, but I also cultivated a close relationship with the team. When a role opened to work for the APCDC, I jumped on it, which ultimately led to my working at Wake!
As an alum and staff member, I really leaned in and soaked up as much as I could. After almost two years of working at Wake and getting my feet underneath me as an “adult,” I felt ready for something new, so I set a goal to move to a new city.
After about six months of intense job searching and countless coffee chats, I finally landed my role at Columbia and headed up to New York in the ceremonial U-Haul. Underpinning a general aptitude for hard work and dedication to a goal, I credit this growth to leading with curiosity and cultivating a strong network. I would not be where I am without the drive to learn and build relationships.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job? How do you navigate that challenge?
Time management is always tricky. With many different projects and initiatives, it can be difficult to decide where to start and discern what is most important. Getting clear on how my work fits into overarching goals helps clarify my priorities, which I can then translate into lists. Lots and lots of lists.
I’ve learned to work with my brain, which, for me, means setting a series of reminders to maintain my focus throughout the week or month, depending on the project’s scope.
Additionally, I’ve found that I can save mental energy by “closing the loop” on smaller tasks as they pop up. Instead of putting off a response to an email, I’ll take two minutes to finish the task while it’s top of mind.
What advice would you give to Wake Forest graduates about developing their personal life habits after college (finances, health, values, work/life balance)?
First thing, take it all one step at a time and ask good questions. Good questions can sometimes open invisible doors.
Second, not all conflicts or issues merit action. Depending on the situation, it could be better to just give it time to pass. Use your best judgment, but more often than not, things tend to resolve on their own.
Third, writing is thinking. If you can’t put your thoughts into words, you may not even know what you think about something.
We know that relationships are important for any kind of development. How do you build and maintain your network?
In all relationships, leading with curiosity sets the stage for a deeper connection. Getting curious about someone’s thoughts, experiences, or opinions is the best way to actively listen! I have noticed that taking the time to dig deeper demonstrates you really care, value their insights, and want to be present with them. Oftentimes, new connections multiply as you keep building upon existing relationships.
To that point, building quality connections with people, personally and professionally, requires showing up (which takes energy). Be intentional about the time you spend with others (and who you spend it with). You don’t need to say yes to everything (and you shouldn’t), but there has honestly rarely been a time I regretted showing up. To have a village, you need to be a villager, even when it might be inconvenient.
Tell us about your mentoring relationships. What impact have these relationships had on your career and life?
Mentoring has become such a huge part of my career! However, for me personally, mentorship has shown up more informally across many different relationships.
I have different people for different things, like a web of mentors. I know who to call with questions about job searching, apartment hunting in NYC, or setting goals at work. Building mentoring relationships has opened doors for me (or encouraged me to open doors for myself) and played a crucial role in my career path so far.
What advice would you give to current Wake Forest students and/or young alumni who are interested in working in your industry?
Start talking to people! Find someone in a role that seems interesting and reach out to them to chat (friendly reminder to prep some questions beforehand)! Our world is so relational, and we can make the choice to take advantage of that.
What’s next for your career? What future goals or plans are you pursuing?
I am focusing on growing as a leader and honing in on strategy, experiential learning, mentoring, and career education. I’m excited to continue growing in my career! I am proud of the path I’ve taken and look forward to exploring what’s next for me.
Story published in February 2026. For current updates about Maggie, visit her LinkedIn profile.