Grad student organizations provide career boost

For incoming graduate students, finding an organization to get involved in can be a challenge. But master’s student Anna Saraceno, who is the Graduate and Professional Student Organization communications coordinator, said involvement in a post-graduate extracurricular is rewarding.

“Being in a graduate organization can be a great way to survive the difficulties of grad student life,” she said.

IU has 21 graduate student organizations for the more than 10,000 post-undergraduate student population.

The organizations are one way for graduate students from all fields of study to get involved.

Most graduate organizations are academic and professional, allowing students to meet others in their departments. They can also gain experience in their respective fields of study, said Laura Suppa, a president of the IU chapter of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity.

“I have seen joining a graduate organization as a positive experience for myself as well as many of my fellow students because...clubs are a good way to socialize with fellow classmates and still work within the profession,” Suppa said. “For us who did not attend undergraduate here, it allows us to get out and embrace our new community.”

Rachel La Touche, co-leader of the Mental Health Working Group , which aims to raise awareness of mental health among IU’s graduate student population, said the organizations unite the grad students.

“The groups’ meetings allow students from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds to recognize a common over-arching mission, improving the graduate student experience at IU,” she said.

Get Oriented @ IU FAIR
For more information on IU’s graduate student organizations, visit the Get Oriented @ IU (Grad Student Information Fair), 2 to 4 p.m. today in the Herman B Wells Library.