Final Year – Time to Refocus
You’re entering your final year and it’s an electric time of year. Motivations are high, there’s anticipation of the increased intensity and aspirations for grades are set. It seems to be the pinnacle of all your hard work – graduation, the final hurdle. But I implore you to pause and question – is the […]
Becoming a 50U50 Judge: A networking story
Just announced! Almabase’s 50U50 powered by Blackbaud recognizing champions in alumni relations and advancement. There is me in the middle of it all is me as a judge among a distinguished panel of fellow judges. How did I get here? Networking. In early 2021, I awoke to find myself on a prestigious list: 15 Alumni […]
#LoveAlumni: 3 groups to celebrate this month!
February is the perfect time to celebrate and recognize the potential of alumni! Let’s debunk the myth that alumni is only linked to fundraising gifts. This is not diminishing this important endeavor of financial giving, we just want to focus on so much more. By raising awareness to our institutions, our students, our alumni and […]
Decade of Alumni Connection? Yes!
In 2019, I declared 2020 as the beginning of the Decade of Alumni Connection. I was wide-eyed, taking on my business, KITE- Keep in Touch Education, full-time. My book The Alumni Way was in development. I was ready to start an alumni revolution. Then, the pandemic struck. Connection took on a new form. We were isolated […]
6 books to Inspire Your Alumni Potential (and Your Alumni Networks!)
Did you know one of the first things I did after my book The Alumni Way was published last year was to arrange a photo shoot. No, not me and the book. Just books. It includes some of the books that inspired me and are infused in The Alumni Way pages are a succinct list of some […]
4 Questions to Embed a Networking Mindset for Your Alumni – and for Impact
Networking is more than mingling at an alumni reunion. In the Creating Connection Webinar hosted and organized by Aluminati, earlier this week, I navigated a journey of building a networking mindset for the next generation of students, graduates, and alumni. I started the event by asking the simple question: Why do we want our students […]
Top 3 Takeaways on the Power of Alumni Friday
Last month, I put out a call far and wide for people to book an ‘Alumni Friday’ with me. What’s an Alumni Friday? It’s time you carve out every week to build your network and follow-up with friends, colleagues — and especially fellow alumni! What a response! On Friday 30th of September I had 8 Alumni […]
Thinking of Grad School? Think Alumni first!
When Graduate Matters section of University Affairs Magazine asked me to write an article on alumni, I sprang into action. Alumni do matter, especially when thinking about an investment as significant as taking up grad school. Postgraduate study is a an investment of time and money (not to mention the grey hair and intellectual epiphanies!). In the original […]
Reflection: A Welcome Activity for Alumni Relations!
Curious about The Alumni Way traits? While the book presents the traits of Reflection – Curiosity – Passion – Generosity for alumni directly, this series of weekly blog posts focuses on how they can be adapted for energizing, effective alumni relations practice. Earlier this month, I dusted off the suitcases for my first work related international business trip […]
Yes, I’m an Alumni Romantic
Last year, in the throes of trying to finish my final book manuscript and in the middle of yet another COVID-19 lockdown, I had a bout of alumni romanticism. It was inevitable: I was writing and talking about alumni all the time, immersed in its potential. This article was the result- and apart from the […]