Alumni as ordinary extraordinary
Take heart - alumni are superstars!
Dear Friends:
Yes! Our alumni are an accomplished bunch! What comes to mind? The CEOs, celebrities, politicians, Olympians and even extreme adventurers. They make for incredible stories in our alumni magazines, promotional brochures and in social media.
This is the easy way out for alumni relations. It IS easy to focus on those who complete incredible feats. What is more challenging and more rewarding for our alumni and our institution, is to focus on the extraordinary ordinary stories of our alumni. These are the graduates who inspire and we can connect to them immediately because their stories resonate deeply with us.
Why does alumni relations take the easy road? We haven't fully decoupled the alumni-fundraising link entirely in our institutions, something I argue for in the philanthropic section of The Alumni Way. Sure, most alumni professionals still work side-by-side with their fundraising colleagues in an advancement office.
When we shift, even a little, from the ultra-extraordinary to the extraordinary ordinary alumni, by featuring their stories and celebrating them in our institutions they can be the inspiring role models for prospective students, current students and graduates alike. A software developer, marketing officer, nurse or lawyer all have extraordinary ordinary stories to feature, share and celebrate.
Sarah Hillel of Alumni Podcasts inspired this week's Alumni Friday, through her post where she writes: "The alumni who are quietly making waves doing extraordinary things in their lives, in their communities, their industries and for the environment." Growth minded alumni can showcase how their challenges and setbacks created these extraordinary, ordinary stories. Check out my guest podcast spot A Dash of SaLT - guest spot The Alumni Way Everyday! where I discuss that extraordinary ordinary!
Your challenge this week:
For alumni facing professionals: consider the extraordinary ordinary stories within your alumni community. Identify one alum who has an extraordinary ordinary story and interview them. Take 15 or 20 minutes on a on a call and listen to their story be inspired and share it with your wider community.
For alumni and students: Mine LinkedIn, review the alumni magazine or talk to a neighbor or friend to find an inspiring alum who has an extraordinary ordinary story. Reach out to them and ask for 15 minutes of their time for an information interview where you ask about how they got from when they graduated to the place where they are in the world today.
Tell me your extraordinary ordinary story! Book a Discovery Call here to discuss how to bring this thinking to your alumni-facing professionals, students and alumni!
Yours with alumni inspiration,
Maria
Photo: Is there anything more ordinary (and extraordinary!) than walking the beach barefoot - and in September to boot!
