Students Take the Lead on Learning
Not all learning happens in the classroom. Members of the Student Alumni Association (SAA) learned important lessons in budgeting, marketing, and logistics as the hosts of a student conference for the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The two-day conference, held on the UMass Amherst campus this past February, welcomed 215 students from colleges and universities from across the northeast. View a slideshow of the conference.
An integral part of the Alumni Association’s programs to enrich and enhance student life, the SAA provides opportunities to develop leadership skills, lifelong connections, and campus traditions. “Our students did an outstanding job organizing this year’s conference,” said Wesley Dunham ’99, Alumni Association advisor to the student group. “They developed a schedule of events that had real value for the attendees and were wonderful ambassadors of UMass Amherst!”
In addition to social and networking gatherings, the conference included four educational sessions with multiple workshops led by student leaders from the different schools. The workshops included topics such as: time management, networking, mentoring, public relations, member management, and business etiquette.
“I picked up a lot of tips for our own organization to improve member retention, keep meetings and events fun, and suggestions for types of events to hold on our large campus,” said Melissa Clark ’10, SAA vice president and conference co-chair. “As a graduating senior, many people have been urging me to rely on my contacts and to continually network to find a job. Since these conferences are both professional and social, it is the ideal place to make lasting connections and networks to rely on in the future.”
Creating networks and identifying key career resources was the focus of a presentation by Mark McCurdy ’98, who was the alumni keynote speaker during one of the conference sessions. McCurdy, president of Jobs in Non-profits, shared his insights on strategic internships and volunteering not only to gain valuable work experience, but to also develop one's social impact compass.
The weekend wasn’t all work and no play. The SAA students made sure to incorporate some fun activities to help break the ice for conference attendees. And what better way to get to know your fellow conference attendees than with a friendly game of “human foosball” or “wrecking ball!” SAA students transformed the Student Union Ballroom into a playground complete with inflatable games and contests. “It takes a lot of time and commitment to get something this big to be a success,” said SAA member Bridget Boles ’12, “It’s really great to see everybody having a good time and coming together. That’s what SAA is all about.”