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Alumni club forms in D.C.
By Betsy Foster
Collegian Reporter
Despite a wide
divergence in careers, ages and stages of life, a group of 50
people in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area have found
a common bond.
This connection has blossomed
as a result of the newly established Hillsdale Washington Alumni
Association, D.C. Chapter.
"Hillsdale is like a family,"
2002 graduate Charissa Kersten said.
The alumni had their first official
gathering last April at a restaurant in downtown Washington.
Since then they have held two other formal gatherings and numerous
informal ones.
"The whole thing is great
because it is so nice to meet the other Hillsdale people in
the area," said Micah Swafford, a 1995 graduate.
The idea for a Washington alumni
association first began developing five or six years ago, 1999
graduate Julie Gurley said.
The group didn't really get off
the ground until Constance Bollinger, Hillsdale's alumni director,
helped organize and host their first event.
Through the alumni association,
graduates are able to build friendships they probably wouldn't
have developed otherwise.
"In the past few years, there's
a good 30 or so younger alumni that have moved to the area,"
Swafford said.
"Most of them I didn't know
from being at Hillsdale."
The group has been meeting formally
about every other month. On Oct. 16, the alumni met for dinner
after work, and they are planning a Christmas party to help
with the college's annual Churchill Dinner in December.
Unofficial gatherings occur more
often.
"A lot of us Hillsdale people hang out together anyway,"
Swafford said.
The unity among the Hillsdale
graduates is helping build Hillsdale's reputation.
"Whenever they meet one of
us, they meet all of us," Gurley said.
"Then they suddenly realize
that a lot of people went to this school they never heard of
before."
The alumni association is helping
the admissions office by attending college fairs and visiting
local high schools.
"This is an emerging friendship,"
Jack Koller, a 1996 graduate, said. "In a world in which
information is so accessible, this allows us a personal touch
on a piece of paper.
"We're learning how to be
successful sales people for the college. It's actually quite
easy; it's selling what you love."
Ashley Hanney, 2003 graduate and
Hillsdale director of volunteers recruitment, said she enjoys
working for the alumni.
"I enjoy the people aspect
of this position and so I am looking forward to not only aiding
admissions with their help but getting to know all of them better,"
she said.
The alumni association also plans
to help other Hillsdale students who move to the area or come
for a summer internship.
Koller said he sees the development
of more alumni associations across the country as essential
for Hillsdale's future.
"Alumni clubs are the future
for the college," he said.
"They allow you to continue
your friendship with the college as you move out to the urban
areas. "
Koller said the alumni association
has been a positive support network in the midst of all the
demands of Washington.
"It is actually a real blessing
for everyone," she said.
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