- Madeline Haynes ’10 welcomes visitors to campus as a Chancellor's Personal Host.
The UMass Amherst experience is more than just classrooms and textbooks. Learning and growth happen in many ways. Throughout the academic year, the Alumni Association provides students with opportunities to take on leadership roles, develop their career paths, and plan for life after graduation.
The Alumni Association’s Campus to Career program brings alumni back to UMass Amherst to share their real-world experiences with current students. Through free workshops and seminars, students learn career development tips, money management skills, business dinner etiquette, networking skills, and more. Close to 1,000 students participated in this year’s programs.
Our Student Alumni Association (SAA) helps students cultivate leadership skills through a variety of events and activities throughout the year. "The Student Alumni Association brings valuable programs and opportunities to our campus community, while cultivating its members as leaders and model students," said Madeline Haynes '10, SAA president. Participants have the opportunity to serve as Chancellor’s Personal Hosts, welcoming special guests to campus and providing a glimpse into campus life. SAA members inspire their peers to show school pride and to maintain an active relationship with the campus.
- Gathered outside Memorial Hall before an SAA meeting (top row left to right) Thuy Truong ’09, Colin F. Glatzel ’09, and Sandra Toffay ’09, (bottom row left to right) Samantha Balaban ’10, Meghan Krupka ’10, and Nelly Czajkowski ’10.
The Alumni Association also recognizes the contributions and academic achievements of students. This year, the Alumni Association distributed a total of $40,000 in small grants to student-led organizations that brought diverse cultural and learning opportunities to UMass Amherst. In addition, more than 100 scholarships surpassing $80,000 were awarded to student recipients. Kevin Bolduc ’10, winner of a ‘Leaders in the Making Scholarship’ said, "By receiving this scholarship, I will not have to face as heavy a burden of student debt as I pursue a career in the field of teaching, and I can have a greater choice in law or graduate schools with less significant student loans to factor into my decision."
Just as the UMass Amherst experience extends beyond the classroom, so too does it extend beyond graduation. The Alumni Association invests in the students of today to build a strong alumni community for the future because: You were. You are. UMASS.
