Alumni
Diverse global paths, one shared liberal arts foundation.
 | ALUMNI Our GraduatesWho Do Our Graduates Become? A professor of Japanese at UC-Berkeley, an award-winning photographer in Detroit, an intellectual property lawyer in New York, a banker in Bangkok, a deputy press attaché at the U.S. Department of State, a PhD in genetics right here in St. Louis—anything you can imagine. And the liberal-arts foundation they received at TJ has served them well beyond college and graduate school. There is no typical TJ graduate. What they share is a habit of curiosity, a confidence with complicated ideas, and a willingness to keep learning long after they leave campus. |
After TJ
There are parts of TJ that are difficult to explain to someone who wasn’t here. How much life could fit into such a small school. How a teacher might know not only what you were reading, but whether you were actually reading it. How the person arguing with you in class at 10:00 might be sitting beside you at dinner, playing basketball with you that afternoon, or still be your friend decades later. With enough distance, some memories fade and others become oddly specific. The Latin vocabulary may have gone rusty, while you can still picture exactly where you sat in English. You may never again have to write an O.R. response, but perhaps some of the old instincts remain: reading something difficult because it is worth the trouble, caring whether an argument actually holds together, or wanting to know just a little more than is strictly necessary. Then again, sometimes nothing fades at all. Bill Rowe ’63 and John Biggs ’54 have been reading Homeric Greek at Washington University alongside TJ faculty members Boaz Roth and Michele Asuni. More than sixty years after TJ, there are apparently still passages left to translate. The hope, of course, is that you leave TJ prepared for whatever comes next. We make no particular claim that “whatever comes next” will include Homeric Greek sixty years later, though precedent suggests we should not rule it out. |  Jae Yoon Jung ’04 returned to TJ this spring to speak to the Class of 2026. Now a journalist at JTBC, one of South Korea’s largest broadcasters, and a visiting scholar at George Washington University’s Institute for Korean Studies, Jae Yoon spoke about the pressure of live television, where “two seconds of silence is a disaster.” Her lesson was “prepared improvisation”: do the work, then be ready for what you cannot predict. And in a world of instant answers, she reminded graduates that some of the best information still comes from people. “Treat them well.” |
There Are Many Ways to Contribute to TJ
Give your time Come back for a visit, help at an event, serve on a committee, or lend a hand on campus. Alumni and past parents bring experience, perspective, and a knowledge of TJ that are difficult to replace. A very TJ example: Before a recent Board retreat, alumni Chino Kim ’85 and David German ’04 spent part of their time back on campus helping the facilities team spruce up the gym. | Share what you know Talk with students about your field, share professional experience, mentor a younger graduate, or introduce members of the TJ community to one another. The paths our alumni have taken are themselves a resource for the people coming after them.
| ||
Tell us what you’re up to Send a class note, share an old photograph, tell us about work that matters to you, or simply let us know where life has taken you. These stories help us keep classmates connected and preserve more of TJ’s history along the way. | Support what comes next Financial gifts are another important way alumni, parents, past parents, and friends strengthen TJ. Gifts to the TJ Fund help the school meet needs that tuition alone does not cover and give TJ the flexibility to put resources where they will matter most. |
$4,900 Approximate annual difference between tuition revenue and the full cost of a TJ education for one student | Why financial gifts matter Tuition covers most, but not all, of the cost of a TJ education. Like many independent schools, TJ does not set tuition at the full cost of educating each student, and as an independent nonprofit school, TJ receives no public funding. The difference is approximately $4,900 per student each year. At a school of TJ’s size, that support matters. Small classes, close work with faculty, a broad academic program, residential life, student activities, and the care of a full campus all require resources that do not become proportionally smaller because the student body is small. Gifts to the TJ Fund help close the difference and can be used wherever the school’s needs are greatest.
|
The TJ Review: 2025–2026
Stay Connected
Keep TJ up to date, share what is happening in your life, or help another family discover the school.
Share your news Tell us about the work, people, places, and ideas that are part of your life now. Class notes may be shared in alumni communications and in the annual TJ Review. | Keep in touch Make sure we have your current email, address, and other contact information so that TJ and your classmates can continue to stay connected. | Share your experience Families considering TJ often want to hear from people who know the school firsthand. If you would like to share your experience, reviews on Niche and Boarding School Review are especially helpful. |
