Think of it as the Alumni Association — the Next Generation.
A group of recent grads has banded together to form the UBC Young Alumni,
a branch of the Alumni Association devoted to offering services and activities
that meet the needs of those who have graduated within the past 10 years.
“We’re trying to meet the particular needs of this generation,” says Dheena
George, the Young Alumni’s vice-president.
“Times have really, really changed. For example, how to deal with a student
debt load is not an issue that was faced by older alumni.
“Our goal is to not only keep young alumni connected to the university, but
to connect them to each other so they can work together on issues that are important
to them,” says George, who graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Commerce and
now works in Vancouver at the executive search company Caldwell Partners AMROP
International.
High on the list of these issues are career development, mentoring, networking
and surviving in today’s tough and highly competitive business world.
“There is a greater demand for mentoring because job security is minimal and
economic realities are much more stark. These days, your employer doesn’t guide
your career along,” says George.
While the core group of the Young Alumni is small, the potential for membership
is enormous. More than 60,000 of UBC’s alumni have graduated in the past 10
years.
“Haig Farris, who is president of the Alumni Association, has been very supportive,
and members of the business community, especially if they’re UBC alumni, are
also very keen about it,” says George.
The UBC Young Alumni’s next event is a breakfast meeting June 5 at the YWCA
that features UBC President Martha Piper and UBC alumnus Peter Ladner, publisher
of Business in Vancouver.
Other events in the works include a round-table discussion to identify issues
faced by new grads. The session could potentially bring young alumni together
with representatives from the high-tech sector, UBC Career Services and Continuing
Studies.
The Young Alumni are also reaching out to other organizations, such as the
Vancouver Network of Young Professionals.
For more information, contact Kristin Smith at the UBC Alumni Association,
604-822-8643, e-mail kristins@alumni.ubc.ca,
or visit the Web site at www.alumni.ubc.ca.
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