While Union College is an institution which works to educate undergraduate students in order to prepare them for a future in further education and/or entering a professional work environment, it also commits to these students long after they have graduated. Alumni relations is an essential part of both fundraising and finding ways to honor the legacies of Union graduates.
One way this is done comes in the form of ReUnion, a yearly spring gathering of alumni where they can participate in activities, reminisce, and relive old (or not-so old) memories while back on campus at their alma mater. This past week’s ReUnion, which occurred between Thursday the 15th and Sunday the 18th, saw 724 alumni and their families from six decades of scholarship participate in these events spread over the four days.
The first of these days consisted of welcome events and tours for the class of 1975, as well as a business pitch competition, which saw $15,000 in capital gifted to a student-led business startup. Friday’s activities included an alumni golf tournament, class visitations, a luncheon in the Nott Memorial with president Harris, and receptions for over a dozen organizations around campus. Saturday saw alumni join together for the Alumni Parade, a 100+ year old tradition of ReUnion weekend, the Celebrate U awards ceremony, an alumni soccer game, a lobster dinner, and a 15-minute fireworks display on the rugby field. The weekend concluded with a day full of seminars and lectures from 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. across campus.
As alumni circled the campus, reuniting with old friends and teachers, many current students on campus found opportunities at these various events to connect with professionals working in the fields of their own majors. This casual mentorship which occurs across all forms of alumni relations is essential to the mission upholding Union’s commitment to not only its students today, but all Union College students, past and present.
