While visiting at Homecoming this year, one friend was surprised that I was on the Alumni Board and asked me why I was serving? When I reminded them of how much our time at Austin College meant to us and the impact that it made on us, the question really became, why not?
I truly believe that Homecoming 2014 brought our College experiences home to us in a new way. Alumni had the privilege to hear from a variety of novelists, news writers, academic authors, and song writers—all Austin College graduates—through ’Roos Who Write lectures. The program was incredibly well done and well attended too. In fact, this year’s Homecoming broke almost all recent attendance records! I was honored to be a part of it to present a workshop on grant writing and how my Austin College education prepared me so well for a career in nonprofit management. Homecoming 2014 turned a brighter spotlight on the College itself—and many talented people it has educated.
We hope you were able to join the fun and see how students benefit from alumni support. This is evidenced not only through Homecoming programming but also new opportunities such as the Advocacy, Mock Trial, and Mediation Program and the Social Entrepreneurship for Poverty Alleviation (SEPA) Program.
One committee of the Alumni Board focuses on Alumni Giving. You may not know it but the percentage of alumni who give to a school is taken into consideration by numerous foundations as well as the college ranking publications. And, more importantly, your annual giving provides operating dollars to give students access to realworld experiences and to develop critical thinking skills needed regardless of specific life path.
Join fellow alumni and friends in perpetuating the Austin College education as the unique, impactful experience we all had. Make a gift—of any size—before the end of the calendar year. I hope to see many of you at AlumNights or other events, and please make plans now to attend Homecoming 2015. You won’t want to miss it.
Thank you for your support of ’Roo Nation!
Kirsten Brandt James ’85
Alumni Board President