Change and Adapt

Suffice it to say, nobody could have predicted what FY20 would look like when it started.

What began as a banner year for the growing NIU Alumni Association and its Huskie family was uprooted earlier this spring when COVID-19 hit.

The NIUAA’s reality was much the same as so many other Universities and institutions around the world. Connection and community—what is at the very heart of the Huskie Pack—was challenged in ways we had never seen before. Rightly so, health and safety came to the forefront. Travel Program trips, national and regional events were canceled.

By the tail end of FY20, anxieties over our “new normal” amid a pandemic remained high, but our hopes remained higher. If there has been anything the last months have taught us, it is that our slogan is more than just a saying. Indeed, Huskies never quit.

The NIU Alumni Association has worked tirelessly to ensure that our alumni remain “in the know”, that they have outlets for community, and their stories are heard. Since the start of the pandemic, Huskies have been there, on the frontlines, fighting for the rest of us.

We have had the honor of telling incredible stories of ER doctors and nurses who put others first, scientists who search for medical treatments, and school administrators and teachers who continue to innovate in order to educate our children. We spoke to farmers and nonprofit workers who came together to feed the hungry, law students who counselled distressed clients virtually, and a panel of economists who discussed their predictions for a financial and job market recovery.

NIUAA events and volunteer teams rewrote the rulebook on events and giving, succeeding in helping alumni to congregate virtually for fun, educational, and philanthropically meaningful opportunities. In June, we witnessed the pack come together to raise $486,000 for our virtual Huskies United fundraiser, which assisted students who are in need during these uncertain times.

Yes, the adage is true. The Huskie Pack keeps going, through wind and snow and rain. Through adversity, uncertainty and even when the finish is difficult to see in the distance. We Huskies stick together, we help each other, and we weather the storm.