a note from penn alumni

Congratulations, Class of 2008!

Anticipating your graduation in the coming year, Penn Alumni is thrilled to welcome you into our community of more than 290,000 illustrious alumni. Though "alumni-hood" may still seem an unfamiliar concept at this point in your college career, it is important to know that Penn Alumni stands ready as a resource to serve graduating seniors as you prepare to move to new cities, start new careers, and continue your education. Here are just a few resources you might find useful in the coming months:

With over 110 regional clubs spanning the globe, Penn Alumni is everywhere you want to be. Whether you already know where you'll be following graduation or you are still shopping around, these clubs can be a great resource for building relationships and getting insider information about the city/region of your choice.

Join QuakerNet, Penn Alumni's online community, where you can sign up for e-mail forwarding, use PACNet (see below), and stay connected with your friends and classmates.

Through the Penn Alumni Career Network (PACNet), you can connect with alumni who are willing to provide career advice and guidance based on their own personal experiences. This career development and mentoring tool will allow you to search the alumni database based on each member's education, background and expertise.

As students, we are all very much aware of the cost of a Penn education. Now, as you move into your senior year, I encourage you to reflect also on the value of this education. We hope that the Class of 2008 will unite as those before you have to ensure this value continues to grow. You are part of a community with a long-standing tradition of giving back. Last year, the Class of 2007 set a new Senior Gift Drive record by reaching a 63% participation rate. Moreover, this support is absolutely critical to our ability to meet the needs of students on a year to year basis. Your class will undoubtedly benefit in some way from the generosity of the Class of 2007. In turn, I challenge you to think forward and help us build upon this Penn tradition. You can make your gift to the Senior Gift Drive by visiting www.seniorgiftdrive.com. Please remember — every gift counts, no matter how large or small.

Penn Alumni takes pride in the range of your achievements, your diversity and the profound impact you have already had on this community and our expectations for all you will accomplish in the future. We know that this is just the beginning for each of you — the beginning of a journey that will bring many more accomplishments and milestones. Be assured that the Penn Alumni community will be there to support, encourage and celebrate with you every step of the way.

Best of luck throughout your Senior year!
Paul C. Williams, W'67
President, Penn Alumni