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2002:
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Young Alumni Offer Fresh Perspective on Development
One of Penn’s most active alumni
constituencies is also its youngest.
Not only are growing numbers of
young alumni supporting the University,
they are also devising new ways to
encourage their classmates to play a
role in Penn’s future.
"I wanted to do something different,"
says Brett Weinheimer, W’00, whose
experience has shown that individual
contact makes all the difference in
getting alumni interested in giving back
to Penn. Since graduating, this young
alumnus, working with a core group of
Class of ’00 graduates, has recruited 30
members of his class to serve on what he
calls the "Class of 2000 Development
Committee"— a "tight network of
alumni who are willing and able to reach
out to classmates like never before."
As Weinheimer explains, each
committee member will be assigned a
group of classmates with whom he or
she will stay in close contact, helping
them to get involved with Penn and
encouraging them to give back to their
alma mater. Over time, the relationships
will grow and alumni allegiance will
grow with them.
The committee’s roots can be found in a feeling familiar to many alumni.
"It is our responsibility as young alumni
to make the University a better place
for those who come after us," says
Weinheimer. "So many young alumni
are eager to help; it’s just a matter of
getting the word out, and making that
personal contact."
Young alumni organizing pre-reunion
gatherings echo the same sentiment.
Darren Fogel, W’93, along with Lincoln
Singleton, W’93, Brett Barth, W’93, and
Jason Pantzer, C’93 — all members of the
Class of ’93 Gift Committee — hosted a
reception for members of the Class of ’93.
The November event featured a discussion
by John Moore, Chair of the Department
of Fine Arts at Penn.
According to Fogel, the reception was
intended to "reacquaint people with old
friends and get them excited about our 10-year reunion." But, it was also, he
explains, "a more personal way to
introduce ’93 alumni to the concept
of giving to the University. You always
feel better about supporting Penn after
attending an event like this." In fact, he
notes, almost all those who attended the
reception contributed to the Class’s
Annual Giving effort.
Elizabeth Camp, C’98, and Jamie Miles,
C’98, would agree. Just five years out of
Penn, these dedicated alumni decided to add a personal touch to their upcoming
reunion by organizing a pre-reunion
party at a midtown Manhattan club.
"This is our first reunion," Camp points
out, "and it’s an important time to get
our classmates involved with Penn." The
evening included plenty of Penn favorites,
among them a Penn version of the trivia
game, Quizzo.
While Miles notes the immediate gains
of the gathering, held one month before
Alumni Weekend, she also sees the event
as a building block for the future. "It’s
important to get our classmates really
cognizant of what Penn gave to them and
what they can give back. We hope our
event was a step in that direction." |
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