Alumni Spirit Spreads Coast to Coast

By Carol Swigart, BA Integrative Studies ’06

Whether they are networking in the city, watching Mason athletics, or attending a special event, alumni enjoy getting together to reminisce about their days at Mason. In spring 2006, their enjoyment reached new heights as they watched the men’s basketball team’s run to the Final Four.

The spirit of Mason alumni continues to grow, not just in Northern Virginia, but nationwide. In less than 10 years, Mason’s alumni population has nearly doubled in every state. For example, in 1998, there were only 660 alumni in New York State and 489 in Colorado. Today, there are 1,229 in New York and 850 in Colorado, with close to 600 each in New York City and Denver. California and Florida each have more than 2,500 alumni.

Mason Across the Nation, the Alumni Association’s regional alumni club program, was created to reconnect alumni from outside Northern Virginia with the university by providing networking opportunities, engaging alumni in recruitment activities, and coordinating family and social events.

Networking events, game watch parties, sports outings, and other socials have been held in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, New York City, Richmond, Tampa, and the Hampton Roads area. In regions where events have been held and a core group of at least five alumni exists, clubs have been established. Much credit goes to individual alumni living in these regions for spearheading the clubs’ formation.

When Jason Crawford, BA Communication ’95 and MBA ’01, moved to Colorado six years ago, he felt the Denver area lagged behind in one area: networking. When he learned how many Mason alumni lived in and around the city, he saw an alumni club as a way to increase networking opportunities.

“Denver is a boom or bust type of city, so the more the alumni can stick together and help each other out, the better,” Crawford says. To increase the circle, Crawford has been in touch with Virginia Tech and James Madison University alumni groups about holding joint events to expand the network.

Lacey Newman, BA Government and Politics ’97 and MA International Commerce and Policy ’03, was regularly in touch with a core group of alumni in Hampton Roads. “I began to see how many alumni were in the area and felt that organizing events to bring everyone together was needed,” she says. The group has gathered for a few happy hours and attended a Mason basketball game last season.

Chicago club organizer Amy Potter, BS Marketing ’96, thinks that college athletics put schools on the map and hopes the events her group organizes will help Chicago alumni network and serve as a resource for those in the area who are interested in attending Mason.

After graduation, Aniruddha Chakrabarti, BS Finance ’02 and BS Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems ’02, wanted to work in New York City but did not have a connection. “Alumni support is critical to professional and personal development in many ways.” says Chakrabarti. “I wanted to create an alumni club here to help extend Mason’s reach in networking and career services.”

The hope of reconnecting with their alma mater has become a reality for these spirited alumni and will continue to reunite others as more get involved across the country.