SNHU Lawn Party

Lawn Party Brings SNHU Community Back Together Again for In-Person Celebration

BY JESSICA WINTER

After being socially distanced for more than two years, the Office of Institutional Advancement was overjoyed to welcome SNHU alumni, donors, volunteers, other special guests and their families back to the Manchester campus on June 4. The last time people were invited to gather on the campus was for Homecoming in 2019, prior to COVID-19 pandemic. The recent group was invited to a festive lawn party during which their contributions to the university were celebrated and updates were provided on how the university community persevered throughout the pandemic.

Through food, libations and lawn games, such as cornhole and giant Jenga, guests reconnected with each other, offering many smiles and laughs. For some, like two-time SNHU graduate Michael “The Duke” Williams ’16 ’18G, who traveled to the event from Orlando, Florida, with his wife and daughter, it was simply great to be back in New England. “It’s always nice to be back here,” said Williams. But he quickly followed up that comment with a tonguein-cheek lamentation that he didn’t get an opportunity to be involved in esports during his time at the university. “I’m jealous,” he teased.

Southern New Hampshire University was the first school in New Hampshire to offer competitive college esports when the program was launched in 2018. The university’s esports arena opened in October 2021. Tours and demonstrations of the arena were offered as part of the event’s program. Guests were also invited to explore the School of Engineering, Technology and Aeronautics (SETA) facility, which opened in 2020 and provides space for students enrolled in SNHU’s many STEM-related programs to experiment, collaborate and learn. Guests expressed their amazement of these new facilities.

In addition to acquainting guests with some of the physical changes that have taken place on campus throughout the pandemic, an important part of the event was to impress upon donors and volunteers the impact of their support

Centerpieces displayed the faces and voices of scholarship recipients. for SNHU’s students and programs. For Stephen Burkhart ‘16 ‘19G ‘22G, a simple decorative element of the event drove home the impact. Each table on the lawn included a centerpiece with a photo of a scholarship recipient and their quote.

“I love this,” said Burkhart referring to the centerpiece on his table. “It helps us reflect on where our donations are going and reinforces that we’re paying it forward.” Throughout the pandemic, the generosity of the SNHU community remained strong. Since last summer, SNHU has awarded more than half a million dollars to support students receiving 238 donor-funded scholarships; $3.4 million in donations helped change the lives of SNHU students; 155 volunteers gave nearly 600 hours of career assistance to students; and more than 14,000 alumni engaged with SNHU through volunteering, events, social media and more.

A more formal part of the event included a program of reflective and gratitude-filled remarks from alumna and Vice President of Student Affairs and Campus-Based Initiatives Heather Lorenz ‘98G, Director of Campus Career and Professional Development Center JoAnna Luiso, Associate Vice President of Office of Institutional Advancement Kristi Durette and President of SNHU Alumni Association JR Ristaino ‘82, who concluded the program by leading the traditional presentation of SNHU’s Alumni Awards.

The last in-person recognition of award recipients took place at Homecoming in 2019. The 2020 recipients were recognized through taped presentations that were aired during that year’s virtual Homecoming festivities. And the 2021 recipients were unable to be brought to campus until this event. Past honorees were asked to stand and be recognized, and each of the 2021 recipients was called forward to be handed their award. Read more about the remarkable achievements of 2021 Alumni Awards recipients Aarron Dupuis ‘19MBA and Michael Williams ‘16 ‘18G (Emerging Leader

Award), Helena Iaquinta (Distinguished Service to Alumni Award), Polly St. Hilaire ‘76 ‘84MBA (SNHU Distinguished Alumni Service Award) and Gary St. Hilaire ‘86 (SNHU Alumni Hall of Fame Award). “As SNHU celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2022, the alumni community boasts more than 190,000 Penmen worldwide,” said Durette. “We’re proud of our relentless focus on student success and commitment to transforming lives through education. Our donors and volunteers are critical partners in this mission.” We celebrate and are thankful for each of them every day.

(Left to Right) Gary St. Hilaire ‘86, JR Ristaino ‘82, Polly St. Hilaire ‘76 ‘84MBA, Edward Shapiro (son of SNHU founder Harry Shapiro and past president of then New Hampshire College) and Wayne Robinson ‘81.

2022

Save the date for Homecoming 2022, Oct. 14-16!

Homecoming is a time to celebrate at SNHU! Join alumni, students, families, faculty, and friends of the University for in-person and virtual events throughout the weekend.

• Virtual/In-Person 5K • Paint Night (virtual and in-person) • Big Money BINGO (in-person and virtual) • Street Fair • Penmen Athletic games...and more!