Greetings fellow alumni –

The Office of Alumni Programs is always looking for new ways to introduce current students to the vast resources of our alumni. One successful program is the “How Do I Become A…” series, which continues to be a great opportunity for students to learn from our body of distinguished alumni.

In its second year, the program has had great success – speakers this past fall included Peyton Patterson, MBA ’83, one of the nation’s most powerful women in banking, and astronaut Charlie Camarda, MS ’80, who presented the University with a GW banner he carried into space on NASA’s Return to Flight Mission. This past semester author Doug Morris, BBA ’83, MBA ’85, introduced the audience to the rewards and pitfalls of travel writing. Speaker Warren Brown, JD ’98, MPH ’98, left the legal profession in 2000 to establish CakeLove, a popular bakery in Washington, D.C., which led to his hit show on the Food Network, Sugar Rush.

Another dynamic program, Dinner with Alumni, affords alumni hosts an opportunity to meet with and mentor students whose academic and professional interests align with their own, and enables undergraduate students to gain career guidance. In the program’s first year, alumni hosted nine dinners, and this year the number has nearly tripled, with 23 dinners scheduled. Alumni hosts work across industries and represent a number of schools at the University, including GW’s School of Business and the Elliott School of International Affairs.

The Senior Class Gift Campaign is a great way to link graduating seniors with their soon-to-be identity as alumni. Through this program, which has existed for over a decade, seniors identify a cause and raise money for a Senior Class Gift, which is endowed to the University as a token of appreciation for their undergraduate experience.

This year’s class gift is the Class of 2006 Community Service Project Fund. An endowed fund, this gift will enable students to coordinate community service projects on campus and in the D.C. area. Continually expanding fundrasing efforts, this year’s class has added a Greek Challenge to encourage sororities and fraternities to make gifts, and has incorporated outreach to student organizations to increase awareness of the campaign and impact the University in a positive way.

These programs unite the experiences of alumni and students, and offer some great ways to become involved and remain connected with GW.

Sincerely,

Scott M. Mory, BA ’96, JD ’99
Executive Director of Alumni Programs and Annual Giving