What is an Alumni Association
An alumni association is an association of the graduates, pass outs, or say the former students of any organization. The alumni associations often organize annual events or programs for the organizations they were associated with. While talking about Alumni associations, I recall an incident that I read the other day in the newspaper. This incident was about a school in Uttar Pradesh. The school was established in 1995 and has been running for more than twenty decades. With more than 20 successful alumni batches, the school and its faculty are considered exemplary to date. Unfortunately, a very kind, talented, and loved teacher of the school lost his life while battling COVID 19. He was associated with the school since the very first batch. The news was heartbreaking for the school as well as the students. Surprisingly, an alumnus of the school created a group on social media and requested everyone associated with the school to join it. He then requested each of them to contribute as much or as little as they can. And soon, they raised more than INR 5,00,00. The amount was further given to that teacher’s family to help them a little financially, however, the loss is irreversible. This incident made N. R. Narayana Murthy’s words live to me, he says, “Nobody is bothered about an institution more than its alumni.”
The way the alumnus feel about the institute that contributed to what they are today, shaped their personality, instilled values, can not be expressed in words. Along with an emotional connection, there are various other reasons to stay connected with the alumni association, and here are a few reasons.
Benefits of Joining Alumni Association
Skill Development and Placements- Krishnan Narayan at the annual event of IIT Madras mentioned that “Young alumni and students can benefit in their professional lives by learning from senior alumni, getting to hear about interesting job opportunities, and so on.” Having an active alumni network can prove to be highly beneficial to the students currently studying in the educational institution. It is easier for a college to place its students when they are more engaged it is with its alumni. The placement committee invites significant alumni who can make decisions about where to go for campus placements to meet with them. With placements being one of the most important factors in attracting students to a college, alumni participation will be beneficial.
Provides More Networking Opportunities- Alumni associations provide networking possibilities, which can assist persons seeking career choices by connecting recent graduates with established professionals. There are numerous ways to network. Alumni associations may provide virtual networking events with job interview tips or host online career fairs. Many alumni networks have LinkedIn groups or use member databases to connect alumni. For instance- if an alumnus gets placed in a good firm and some of their juniors need an internship at the same firm, then it would be easier for the student to connect with the team.
“A founder can carry an institution only so far, and then others have to step in, even the alumni. That's how an institution becomes one.” Shiv Nadar
Thank you and Happy Learning!
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