The Northwest Arkansas Chapter’s Young Alumni Committee began in the spring of 2010. Consisting of a group of young professionals who graduated from the University of Arkansas in the past 10 years, these volunteers have worked hard to increase awareness among recent graduates about the benefits of staying connected to the University and the Arkansas Alumni Association.
As a volunteer effort, the Young Alumni have an estimated 20 people on the committee. Members are expected to attend meetings, which allows for collective ideas when planning events and finding ways to increase communication through social media outlets. “We have three people on our communications team that work to put information up on Facebook, take pictures and upload them to the website,” said Emily Striegler, the Young Alumni Chair for the Northwest Arkansas Chapter.
Currently, the Young Alumni Committee hosts “Third Thursday,” a happy hour event that takes place every third Thursday of the month and provides young professionals with networking opportunities. Guests are joined by speakers who provide valuable insight into various topics that are of interest to recent graduates and young professionals. “Our idea for speakers comes from our meeting discussions. For example, we asked someone from Lindsey (& Associates) to come speak at ‘Third Thursday’ about how to go about buying your first house,” Striegler said.
In the future, the Young Alumni Committee hopes to partner with other young professional groups in the area in an effort to reach out to others and increase awareness about the Arkansas Alumni Association and its benefits. “A lot of people in these young professional groups are graduates of the U of A and it would be a good idea for us to partner with them and hopefully raise our numbers,” she said. Striegler also hopes that “Third Thursday” will become a familiar occurrence for people – an event that “everyone knows about.”
The Young Alumni Committee and the Northwest Arkansas Chapter encourage people of all ages to attend these networking events. These networking opportunities are valuable to any professional, and it provides guests with an opportunity to come together and be a part of something unique. Striegler also encourages any recent graduate to become a member of the Young Alumni Committee. “We all love our school and want to give back and be involved. The Young Alumni Committee is a nice segue for those who were involved in college and want to stay involved after graduation.”
