Upon leaving Tufts, graduates will join the more than 72,000 other alumni in the Tufts University Alumni Association. Graduating seniors Michael Ferenczy, Seren Levinson, William McCarthy, and Sarah Molenkamp were chosen to represent the class of 2002 in the Alumni Association Council (AAC).
The system of electing four seniors to the AAC was started three years ago to get younger alumni more involved by electing transitional members that serve for five years on the council instead of the regular ten. Ferenczy, Levinson, McCarthy and Molenkamp help represent the younger alumni minority in the council.
"One of the biggest goals of the Alumni Association is engaging younger alumni and finding new and innovative ways to keep alumni connected to Tufts once they leave," Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Sardella Assistant Director of alumni relations.
The transitional members plan to build on the idea of maintaining more contact with alumni. "I've heard comments for alumni saying that after only two years Tufts lost track of them or didn't contact them," Sarah Molenkamp said. "It's important to make people feel like this is a lifetime thing."
Other transitional members have been able to bring a new perspective on alumni relations. The alumni website was recently redone with help from transitional members. Generally more technologically savvy, the transitional members have provided fresh ideas of how to engage people in being involved in Tufts.
"I've had a wonderful four years and I want to give back," Molenkamp said. "I think it's important that I do that. I found this a good way to get involved and stay involved."
The AAC is broken down into 13 standing committees that include an awards committee and communications committee. The role of the transitional members is to provide the voice of the younger alumni for these committees.
"The biggest area of improvement in the association is understanding what kids want when they get out of school so we can devise programming for them when they leave," Sardella said. "We want to know what are the types of events that we can have so we can bring them back."
Alumni should recognize that once-a-year donations are just a small part of belonging to this organization, said Molenkamp.
"People complain that it's just 'give us money,'" Molenkamp said. "I want the alumni to know to it's more than just that. It's important to reach out into the communities where there are a lot of Tufts Grads like DC, Los Angeles, and New York."
