Another October evening, another high-energy alumni and student engagement event. This could be habit-forming! And it’s not just because I am a Myers-Briggs “E” that I love these events: it’s where our incredible alumni community makes good on their stated wishes to draw in and support our students. Last night about 200 students and alumni gathered at the Westin in Edina (Thank you, Warren Beck, for providing such a great space) for greeting, noshing, and Kevin Bacon-esque connection-making. No Gustie is more than 3 or 4 people away from anything our students are interested in learning about– I saw it happen several times just in my own small group conversations among students and alum.
Students were really brave, getting out there and proactively talking with alumni to start to build relationships. They all had different goals, and different approaches, but I was really proud of how professionally students were dressed and their “take a deep breath and just give it a shot” attitudes. The new format for the event really worked well– more people could talk and mix without a sit-down dinner — and eating a beautiful dessert while Scott Anderson ’89 regaled the group with stories of his time on the hill was a perfect way to give everyone a break between mixing times. Hats off to the Advancement folks and everyone at the CSL who worked so hard.
Some pictures (who likes to read a story like this without pictures?)
Leave a Reply