The Rendezvous

 

The term “alumni” depicts the passed-out students from the school with a comeback called ‘reunion’. The alumni meet is conducted to express love and affection for fellow students. It is an emotional day where students exchange memories about their school days. The alumni students are made happy with some events, organized by the present students. It is an opportunity to meet their friends after many years, along with the staff members. They can also visualize the changes in the school and can co-relate them with the present happenings.

 

When I meet my pal mates, it gives me the pleasure of being in seventh heaven. The same is expected of students. As per my guidance, the meet is hosted every year, where the students come to their starting point and recollect their past.

 

‘Never forget your roots, especially your sous roots” 

- Brian Spector

 

“Your Alma Mater is like a mother, patiently accepts all your hoots but proudly boasts your achievements to the world…… No wonder why our Alma Mater is called our Second Home” - Pappal

 

As senior students, the alumni should set a benchmark for the juniors in competing for excellence in all fields. The alumni may be in diversified fields like doctors, engineers, the teaching profession, scientists, entrepreneurs, etc., who will feel nostalgic when they are one among all. They should be applauded for justifying the years spent in school which tells them who they are today.

 

In the alumni meeting, the contributions given by students are acknowledged and appreciated. A reunion gives you a long, deep desire of meeting childhood friends which keep you energized and strengthens the bond between the school and alumni which has been unparalleled. Lots of discussion goes about the fun moments in class, homework, punishments, nicknames, favorite teachers, and more forgotten secrets that are revealed memorably. 

 

The Alumnus and Alumna are taken back to their golden days by the great force of “alumni meet”. This meeting is a great occasion for the former students to fraternize with each other and revisit the Alma mater, to offer their support to it. Each one of the students from the past or the future would be a stakeholder in the institution.

Alumni's Contribution to School

 

“I think the success of any school can be measured by the contribution the alumni make to our national life”                                                                                           -John.F.Kennedy

 

The alumni association cell aims to promote an enduring relationship between the students and their alma mater. They can contribute towards the development of the institution through financial support, scholarships, organizing lectures, symposium, and endowments, accompanying students to villages, and knowing their needs through any human resources. Their valuable donations to the school for expanding the school library, laboratory, and virtual classrooms thereby developing the infrastructure with a new outlook is a welcome gesture.

 

An alumni association aims to bring all the students of the past, the present, and the future under one roof. It also helps the school, to raise funds for the developmental process, mobilize the possible resources, and to have a good reputation among the students. In the future, when they stay connected with their alma mater, they can expand their horizon by joining hands with some international organizations related to education, business, finance, the medical field, etc., and help the students to meet their ambitions.

 

How can an Alumni extend support to the school

To know about the present status of the alumnus, the following ways can be tried out:

 An Alumni update form can be generated/designed where the passed-out students can share or update their achievements, challenges in their career, and opportunities underlying in their area of study or work spot. 

Volunteering as a sponsor, rather than donating, the alumni can be asked to sponsor for getting sports kits (sports team), extending technical support for the computer lab, and donating books for the library. 

Having an alumni-mentor speaker program where the alumni can be role models for the students to talk about their experiences, might be a day of learning for the new ones.

Administrators should be successful in getting the best from alumni by creating new strategies for keeping the community members involved for years to come. 

 

Viel Ka Morales, the Alumni Relations Manager in The Dominican Republic has set an example by creating “Sharky Club” in honor of the school’s mascot and sending a shark. When an alumnus has a newborn baby the club sends a Plush toy to encourage their parents to think and consider the alma mater when their children are ready for school.

 

At St.Britto’s in 2016, a Mega Meet was organized for students from the year 2007- 2016, just poured in. About 1500 alumni attended the meeting. All grown up, in their self, professions, mind, and thoughts were happy to see their friends and staff. Their presence made a useful communion, elated with vigour to get the expressions echoed from seniors to juniors alongside the social media framework, it was easy to stay connected with all. 

The alumni have extended their support and spontaneous contributions to the school at times of emergencies like floods, visiting old age homes, orphanages, and rural areas. Setting  up libraries, tuition classes, plantation drives, blood donation camps, and medical camps were all a part of their contribution to the late “Alumni league” 

 

It was created to have a continuous rapport with the alumni and current students by providing a platform for interactions. In Britto’s, an online registration facility with an alumni website for ex-students is created to get re-connected with the alumni family. The alumni league will appraise the activities of the school from time to time under the office of the principal.

 

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”                                               - Marga

ret Mead

 

The students who came to see me, visualized the changes and were happy with the growth of the school and promised to render any help in the future for the institution to scale high and also to help the student community.

I was touched by the gesture they showed towards the institution.