Alumni Connections

The work of the Alumni Relations Office continues, and in fact thrives, during this unique year. In the previous issue of Tabor Today, we reported on the early stages of our Forecasters Series. Built from scratch as an alternative to traditional in-person programs, Forecasters has offered meaningful engagement opportunities for a cross-section of interested alumni to network around shared personal and professional interests. And in the middle of a global pandemic, this series has allowed alumni to come together socially, albeit virtually.

Now, at the close of its inaugural season of ten episodes, we couldn’t be happier with the results. To date, over 1,000 alumni from 29 states and 5 countries have registered for the series–nearly 15 percent of our alumni base. Compared to 2019-20, our last year with a full slate of in-person programs, Forecasters has nearly tripled our event registrations, resulting in a 21 percent increase in alumni engagement, and extended our institutional and geographic reach. We have been pleased to see “new” names on the attendee roster and faces on our Zoom calls. In short, by going virtual, we have reached more alumni in more places than we did prior to the pandemic.

And despite all the planning in the world, we wouldn’t have achieved such an overwhelming response to the initiative without our remarkable lineup of hosts. The talented and accomplished alumni who shared their wisdom and time with their fellow alumni are central to the success Forecasters has had in bringing alumni closer to Tabor and one another.

If you’ve missed an episode of the Forecasters Series, you can catch up by visiting taboracademy.org/forecasters. Over the course of nine months, the series has examined COVID-19 and the road ahead, explored the pandemic’s impact on higher education, discussed developments in professional sports, provided an outlook on American foreign policy, demystified cryptocurrency, surveyed the shifting realities of office culture, assessed residential and commercial real estate markets, identified trends in venture capital, and investigated the state of cybersecurity.

We obviously look forward to being with each other in person in the months ahead, but there is little doubt that the Forecasters Series has a permanent place in our alumni engagement arsenal today, tomorrow, and forever. The lessons are obvious–when possible, strip away the limitations of geography, offer interesting, insightful, and compelling programs, and rely on your alumni to tell their own stories.

“Tabor’s Forecasters Series has been a phenomenal way to keep alumni of all ages connected to Tabor and one another. I’ve been impressed by the breadth and relevance of subjects the series has addressed – from cryptocurrency to returning to a postCOVID workplace to the future of the sports industry. The presentations have been a great reminder of the strength of the Tabor alumni network, and I’ve been encouraged to see so many new and familiar faces joining the episodes. At a time when it’s so difficult to feel connected and when many are suffering from Zoom fatigue, Tabor’s Forecasters Series has stood out for its ability to educate, entertain, and connect alumni.”

– Kelley Newman ’12

“Forecasters has brought me closer to Tabor and provided me with new ways to give back. I have extended my network with like-minded alumni to learn together and share my knowledge of and passion for blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. I am very grateful for the new experiences that the Alumni Relations Office has created for us and look forward to Season 2!”

– Alec Parsons ’89

“I loved being a part of the Forecasters Series. First and foremost, it gave me a way to give back to the Tabor community leveraging the talents I have developed since my time on The Waterfront. Second, through the prep and conversation, I was able to meet some “new to me” and very talented Seawolves. And lastly, I have had some wonderful follow-up conversations with alumni. It reinvigorated a connection to all alumni even in this virtual world we are operating in.”

– Nicole Greene ’95