Current students and future alumni are one and the same. Therefore, the Alumni Association Board and staff are putting a greater emphasis on getting to know Brenau students before they become alumni. By generating awareness about the alumni experience ahead of graduation, we create immediate connections back to the university for the young alumni population – a key group with innovative ideas, a propensity to give back to Brenau through volunteerism and a unique ability to serve as grassroots recruiters of future students.

The most recent initiative of the Alumni Association Board relative to serving the student body is the sponsorship of the Annual Women’s Leadership Colloquium through an alumni association named lecture. The colloquium allows current students to build professional connections while also demonstrating the power of education and leadership through the success stories of Brenau women.

The alumni board has made a commitment to raise $50,000 over the next five years for this annual lecture and, to date, the board members alone have pledged $16,400 toward the effort. We hope you will join them through a designated gift to the ForeverGold campaign earmarked for the Alumni Association Lecture.

Some other ways we are informing students about the power of alumni connectivity include:

The Student-Alumni Mentoring program, a yearlong networking and coaching experience for undergraduate juniors and seniors to be matched with alumni professionals in a similar field of study.

Alumni Association-sponsored scholarships for students who meet the specific ideals of a Brenau scholar, as well as possess qualities that will lead to strong alumni in the future.

Interactive presentations about the Alumni Association and life beyond college in conjunction with senior capstone courses.

The Student Ambassadors program, which allows Women’s College students to serve as representatives of the student body at alumni and community functions throughout the year, thus providing well-spoken and engaged young women the opportunity to develop their voice as well as network with potential future employers.

The Phone-A-Thon, a two-week project each semester whereby student volunteers call alumni to gather updates, share news of the University, request financial support for the Annual Fund and organically build long-distance friendships.

Graduating Class Giving, an opportunity for graduates to make a lasting gift to the university through a donation to a specific project dedicated to Brenau by the graduating class.

Graduation gifts, compliments of the Alumni Association, symbolically mark the transition from student to alumnus.
After all, it is the student experience that initially draws the alumni body together in community, and it is the alumni experience which further connects you to Brenau. Our hope with these initiatives is to send students into the world with a strong message – you were a student for a mere few years, but you are an alumnus for a lifetime.