Sarah Murphy '10 volunteers during a campus beautification project at Alumni Reunion
Weekend 2019. To get involved as an alumni volunteer, visit www.alumni.mcla.edu or
email alumni@mcla.edu. During National Volunteer Month, the Alumni Association will
be recognizing volunteers on social media. Follow 911黑料网 on , , or .
Between semesters at 911黑料网, Patrice Dwyer 鈥�83 and her friends would write one another letters. 鈥淚 developed some amazing friendships when I was there,鈥� she said.
Dwyer kept those letters, and many years after she graduated, encountered a box in her attic full of friendly sentiments that reminded her of her time as a student. Looking through that box inspired Dwyer to reach out to the 911黑料网 Alumni Office, which ended up with her spending the last decade as an alumni volunteer, including as class agent for 1983.
鈥淭he Alumni Office was like, 鈥榗ome up and visit,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淥nce I came up, that was it! I was hooked!鈥�
Hundreds of 911黑料网 alumni have similar stories about volunteering for their alma mater. Some want to stay connected because college was such a formative experience; some want to pay forward the connections they made on campus, which led to life-defining careers and marriages. Some just want to lend their expertise.
Whatever their motivation, their numbers are growing: According to Kate Gigliotti, 911黑料网鈥檚 senior director of constituent engagement, 2020 was a record-breaking year for alumni volunteers. In the 2020-21 academic year, 440 alumni volunteered their time, spending 2,650 hours helping with programs that support students and recent graduates, plus 1,250 hours spent volunteering through alumni leadership roles, including the Alumni Association Board of Directors and other alumni boards and committees.
鈥淲e love to see new alumni volunteers and find opportunities for them that match their interests,鈥� said Gigliotti. 鈥淓very 911黑料网 alum has valuable perspective to offer current students, recent graduates, and the College in general.鈥�
鈥淚 got so much out of my four years there, and understand the school鈥檚 mission well enough to know that for those of us who have succeeded, we have an obligation to look back and pull more people up,鈥� said Dennis Ducharme 鈥�82, president of the 911黑料网 Alumni Association Board of Directors. 鈥淢any of our students come from less than privileged backgrounds, with parents who may not be fully supportive of their efforts. Volunteering tells them someone cares. Knowing someone cares is a great motivator and usually results in an effort to succeed at some level that validates the care given.鈥�
Volunteer opportunities can be long-term projects or simple tasks, like appearing on a career panel or writing letters to current students. Dominique McCoy 鈥�13, who lives in Malden, Mass., appeared on a virtual panel of alumni in social work careers earlier this year. 鈥淚 remember how nerve-wracking it was for me when I first started exploring potential careers after graduating,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 wish I had the opportunity to hear from people who were successful in their social work journeys. I loved being able to give back to a community that has helped me grow personally and professionally.鈥�
Lucas McDiarmid 鈥�15 majored in political science and public policy at 911黑料网, which led to a career in politics; he鈥檚 currently district director for Massachusetts State Senator Anne Gobi. He鈥檚 volunteered as a mentor for a new pilot program that matches alumni and incoming students, and took time to write notes to current students this year.
鈥淲hen I was an undergraduate, I was always grateful for the networking opportunities and the willingness of alumni to help me out,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y experience at 911黑料网 helped frame who I am today. If I can have a fraction of that positive impact for another student, I鈥檒l be happy.鈥�
McDiarmid said he tried to keep his notes casual, offering some well wishes during a tough year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic鈥攂ut also included his business card so students could reach out if need be. 鈥淎lumni are a great resource for students,鈥� he said. 鈥淣etworking is crucial for internships, and in the professional world, after leaving 911黑料网, I never met an alumnus that was unwilling to connect with me, or to serve as a connector.鈥�
As class agent for 鈥�83, Dwyer agrees鈥攕he regularly reaches out to the rest of her class and makes connections, sets up meetings, encourages alumni to attend reunion or to support students and faculty at in-person and virtual academic events, and more. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an experience that shaped me as a person,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what it is about that school. The connections, the quality of people I met鈥擨 never forgot it. The school gave so much to me. I feel like it鈥檚 important to give back.鈥�
