Alumni Participation at Collegiate There are so many ways to engage with Collegiate. Whether it’s speaking to students, connecting with faculty or exploring programs, our alumni’s talents are a valuable resource to the School. The Alumni Association is here to help make these meaningful connections. “Giving back to Collegiate can take many forms,” says H. Pettus LeCompte ’71, former Alumni Association President. “The key for each alumni is to determine how we can best make a difference and then pursue those avenues with vigor.” The following are just a few examples of those avenues offered to alumni to participate in the School.
PARTICIPATE IN TRAILBLAZE 2022 Trailblaze aims to provide shadowing opportunities for
NOMINATE SOMEONE (OR EVEN YOURSELF!) FOR THE ALUMNI BOARD
Collegiate students the summer before their Senior year. This
The Alumni Board, which meets five times a year, serves
year, Trailblaze will be a virtual experience. The goal of this
as an advocate for all Collegiate graduates. Members of the
program will be to provide real life experience for our students
board connect with current students and alumni and serve as
with Collegiate alumni and friends already established in the
ambassadors of Collegiate to promote the School and help fulfill
workforce, giving our students meaningful connections with the
its mission.
professional world. Students will have the opportunity to explore their interests beyond the classroom and discover potential career paths. “Trailblaze was a great opportunity to connect with Collegiate students in ways that I haven’t before,” says Meera Pahuja ’97. “ To see their interest, capabilities and dedication to understanding professions on a practical level really speaks to their love of learning that is such a core to Collegiate’s philosophy.”
GIVE BACK TO THE ANNUAL FUND
CALLING ALL ALUMNI WITH CLASS YEARS THAT END IN TWOS AND SEVENS TO HELP US WITH HOMECOMING 2022 Help plan your upcoming reunion. Work with a committee to plan a night to remember while connecting with classmates. “I always knew our class was special, but the incredible turnout and enthusiasm around our 20th reunion was really something,” says Elizabeth Dolan Wright ’01. “Navigating event planning
“The Annual Fund is a critical piece of Collegiate’s rich history
through a pandemic was tricky, but with the help and support of
of giving back,” says alumnus Peyton Jenkins ’00. “The Fund is
the Alumni Association team and the 2001 Reunion Committee,
paramount to bridging the gap between the cost of tuition and
the event was both a great success and a rewarding volunteer
the cost of operations. As parents, students and alumni, each
experience. These are relationships that have endured through
of us has benefited from this fund and its donors. Every year
time, and it was so much fun to pick up where we left off.”
this fund helps to provide critical school services, staff support, learning experiences for our students and much more. Please consider giving a gift to the Annual Fund this year!”
CONNECT WITH YOUR CLASS Engage with the Alumni Association as a class ambassador to find ways to provide opportunities for alumni to gather with friends,
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN ANY OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES, PLEASE CONTACT ANNE GRAY SIEBERT ’97, COLLEGIATE’S DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT, AT: annegray_siebert@collegiate-va.org O R 804.741.9757
strengthen relationships and create new connections within the Collegiate community. “Having the opportunity to work with some of my classmates to organize our 21st reunion was a rewarding experience,” says Hunter Lansing ’00. “As I look back at my time at Collegiate, those relationships, memories and experiences have become even more meaningful to me over time. To play a small role in bringing my classmates together to remember and retell many of those cherished moments was a blast.”
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