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For 10 years the ������Ƶ Alumni Association’s Student–Alumni Programs have helped thousands of students build class traditions and connect with alumni. The Student Alumni Board has been there every step of the way.

Newton Adkins, BS’14, joined the Student Alumni Board during his first year at ������Ƶ. “I was excited to do something meaningful that would connect me to ������Ƶ for the rest of my life,” he says.

Student–Alumni Program offerings include annual traditions such as the Freshman–Senior Dinner, Sophomore Tailgate, Junior Networking Lunch, Seniorfest, and the Life after ������Ƶ guide and senior series. The Student Alumni Board drives interest in those events by making them meaningful to the students’ classes.

Many students look forward to meeting alumni through the programs, and more than 1,000 alumni have volunteered to share insights into their professions and advice for life after graduation.

“My favorite event was a networking lunch that matched students with alumni who worked in a relevant industry,” says Adkins, who was an Ingram Scholar at ������Ƶ. “The insight we gained was helpful, and the networking skills were invaluable in preparing me for life after ������Ƶ.”

Now an alumnus himself, he feels inspired to return the favor to current ������Ƶ students.

“Meeting those alumni motivated me to identify my passions and to work hard to achieve my professional and personal goals,” Adkins says. “Hearing about their successes and failures helped prepare me for the difficult transition to the real world.”

—MATT ANDERSON