Student Foundation returns from road trip

Student Foundation returns from road trip

The Northeastern State University Student Foundation returned from their kickoff road trip event with memories, learning experiences and new connections to alumni across the country.

NSUSF adviser Penny Moore and executive officers Tony Maxville Jr., Jared Rusk and Carl Bell traveled to Baltimore where they attended a conference on student philanthropy and made several stops to visit with alumni in other cities.

We had a great time and did a lot of really fun things, Moore said. The purpose of this trip was to cultivate relationships with alumni and for alumni to have the opportunity to talk to students. We clearly accomplished those goals.

The first stop was Indiana University at Purdue, followed by the first official alumni event, a dinner in Washington D.C. on Aug. 5. Then it was on to the CASE ASAP conference on student philanthropy in Baltimore.

That was an amazing conference, Bell said. All of these great student foundations were there and students hosted the conference. We learned a lot from others, such as how to host events, marketing and how to get members and keep membership engaged. It was a really well-rounded conference.

Returning from Baltimore, the group stopped for more alumni events along the way. Bell said meeting alumni in different cities was what he enjoyed most.

It was good to see the diverse population of NSU alumni, he said. They all seemed to be really proud and excited to be NSU alumni. As a student, my perception of the university has been limited. You don't get to see this community within a community so you don't think of NSU alumni working in places like D.C. and Charlotte.

Bell added that the trip allowed him to learn skills in the world outside the classroom.

We got to sharpen our skills of public speaking, conversation, people skills and organization skills, he said. Penny gave us each three cities and we were responsible for the planning and organizing for that city. Having to do it is a lot different than just reading about it.

Though turnout was not as high as hoped at some events, Rusk said the trip was perfect and just what the university needed.

At each alumni stop we would call around 100 people but on each occasion only eight would show up, he said. At first we were all slightly let down. However, as the trip progressed we realized that these small intimate gatherings were exactly what we were looking for. We had the chance to really get to know the alumni, to hear each of their stories.

Rusk also enjoyed hearing alumni talk of the education they received at NSU.

To hear people who had been out in the field say they received the best education they could have at NSU was exciting, he said. I was impressed again and again with the success of the NSU alumni. They spoke with emotion as they recounted their stories of friends that were made while in attendance at NSU.

They spoke of how grateful they were for the education they had received at NSU and said that they found themselves well prepared for the jobs they took after graduation. At the end of each dinner, individuals were talking about starting alumni chapters in their respective cities.

Other highlights included a visit to the Georgia Tech Student Foundation the countrys model student foundation and to the Smithsonian and American Indian Museum. The last stop was Little Rock, Ark., where Maxville, Bell and Rusk had a little fun during their down time at a shopping center.

We pretended to be salesmen in JCPenney, Rusk said. We actually helped a man find two pairs of 44 pants.

They also had fun with traveling Rowdy. The group brought puppets of Rowdy the Riverhawk and sent him with students they met from other universities.

Hes in Canada right now and Ive talked to students at other universities about sending their mascots to us, Rusk said.

Moore said the road trip was a success and a learning opportunity for everyone.

I had never put on events like this and it sure taught me a lot of things and connected us to alumni in ways we never had before, she said. It was worth every minute.

- By NSU Staff Writer Laura Butler

9/22/2009

Published: 2009-09-22 00:00:00