If you’re looking for a way to get more involved with your alma mater this year, look no further! It can be as easy as following the Alumni Association on social media, or attending alumni gatherings in your area, or simply remembering AP3: Admissions, Pride, Placement, Participation. AP3 is the new mantra of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and they’re making it their mission to get the entire Illinois Tech alumni population on board.
From an admissions standpoint, alumni can volunteer to represent the university at college fairs. “Having alumni around the country doing this, we’ve gotten more traction with our recruiting pipeline, and we’re getting kids from areas we weren’t before,” says Andrea Berry (CS ’84), chair of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Alumni can also write letters or postcards to prospective students, building connections and welcoming them to the Illinois Tech family. “Sometimes that letter can be the decision-maker for welcoming and encouraging them to join the Illinois Tech family,” Berry says.
“Pride is an easy one,” Berry says. “Buy a hat from the bookstore or get an alumni license plate holder. Represent your alma mater. With more than 75,000 alumni, think of the impact we could have if we all wore Illinois Tech swag!” Sharing good news, career advancement, and professional development with your peers is showing pride in your alma mater—don’t be afraid to brag a little about your own accomplishments by submitting a class note at alumni.iit.edu/class-notes!
Many young alumni have asked for help in their careers, and the Alumni Board has heard their call. The board’s Career and Professional Development Committee leads the Hawk Talk series of webinars and workshops to help with placement and career development. Alumni can help in this area by hiring fellow alumni or giving an internship to a current student. Remember, the services of the Career Services Office are yours for life, so don’t be afraid to use them.
“Participation is literally just that—participate!” Berry says. “Attend a local chapter event, check out the website, sign up for a free webinar, update your phone number and address, make a gift, use the online directory to contact classmates, refer a student—take advantage of the resources that are out there for us.”
Ultimately, Berry believes the simplest way to get involved is just to talk about Illinois Tech. “Tell your Illinois Tech story to someone,” she says. “We do a lot of our own marketing of the university just as alumni, and we have the power to get people around the world excited about Illinois Tech.”
Visit alumni.iit.edu/get-involved for more ways to engage with your alma mater, and follow university social media accounts at web.iit.edu/directory/social-media to share stories, current press, and university updates.