We all know about Homecoming weekend and Commencement, but where else can Southern New Hampshire alumni be found?
While alumni are present here on campus throughout each semester, some students are left wondering how to contact or where they can be found as a resource here at SNHU.
According to Allison Pudvah, the Associate Director of Alumni Engagement, the university has seen an “exponential increase” of graduates, and therefore alumni, in the past decade alone.
Some students have expressed interest in contacting alumni without being aware of how. What might be unknown is that many of our professors and staff here at SNHU are alumni themselves. These individuals can be a useful resource and are often here on campus ready to help current students. As our university is often looking for more ways to invite and include alumni here on campus, there are many already here present on campus more often than one may think.
For students that wish to connect with alumni sooner rather than later, it is encouraged that they reach out to the Office of Alumni Engagement (alumni@snhu.edu) to instigate potential connections. The Alumni Engagement Team works closely with the Career and Professional Development Center. These two offices can be great resources and even introduce students to possible upcoming events with alumni present that they may not have known about. The LinkedIn community is also a huge help in connecting current students with alumni across the country. This offers a resource which can be more accessible for online students or alumni in remote locations.
One of these events that will be occurring in the spring is Global Days of Service. This is a two month service based movement in March and April for everyone within the SNHU community that offers yet another opportunity for current students to connect with alumni, and form a relationship centered around service. New ideas and people are welcomed for these events each year. Reach out to alumni@snhu.edu if you are interested in learning more.
There are many other unseen connections between current students and alumni throughout the campus and online experiences. Another example of this is that in some circumstances, when able, alumni will be invited to team dinners while students are on alternative breaks in other areas of the country.
Last year, was a dinner in New Orleans with two alumni, the campus students, and the advisors on the trip. What made this even more special is that the two alumni were student workers in the Chandler Center, and had participated in Alternative Break trips when they were enrolled as students on campus. This experience provides students access to alumni in locations they may not have been able to reach otherwise.
Finally, students and alumni alike can check the Alumni website (alumni.snhu.edu) for any upcoming events where alumni may be available for students to connect with. While some may feel that the presence of SNHU graduates is small, there is a much larger community that anyone can access if they know which resources are available to them. The biggest part of this process is to simply ask questions!
