A Successful Homecoming

On the weekend of October 24-26th at UMass Amherst, the student body celebrated Homecoming; a schoolwide celebration built on pride, spirit, and tradition. Events were held throughout the weekend where students could connect, have fun, and win free swag while being reminded of what it means to be a UMass Minuteman. Collaborating with other student organizations on campus, we were able to come together and enjoy a successful Homecoming. Here in the Student Alumni Association, students in EBoard and cabinet positions played crucial roles to ensure the success of these events. This included taking the time to plan every detail of the events and then working them. While working these events members displayed school spirit while efficiently collaborating with others to achieve a common goal.

Some of the events celebrated include the Homecoming Spirit Kick-off, Homecoming Block Party, and Homecoming Parade. In collaboration with the UMass Programming Council the SAA philanthropy branch lead by Sarah Cotton ‘21 organized and prepared for the Homecoming Spirit Kickoff held in the Campus Center. Planning for this event began in July, and included designing and ordering promotional materials that would be handed out at the event. During this event, students wrote letters to alumni to thank them for giving back to the UMass community. Around 700 students attended this event and 1200 cards of appreciation were written. 

The SAA station at the Homecoming Block Party event was lead by Jillian Smick ‘21,  and was organized, managed, and worked by the traditions branch. During this event, students went from table to table socializing and making crafts to enhance their UMass experience. Alumni were also invited back to campus where they too had the opportunity to engage with students and enjoy the interactive stations and activities this event had to offer.  

The Homecoming Parade brought many Alumni and their families back to campus where they mingled with the locals to watch the parade. This year we were fortunate to have Alumnus Shannon Emmett ‘19, Jamie Downer ‘19, and Colleen Madden ‘18 walk in the parade with SAA as respected Alumni. The Homecoming Parade brought many student organizations on campus together where they united with pride and marched together around UMass and through the Amherst town center along the 2-mile route.

 Another aspect of Homecoming was the Homecoming Royalty Court, this consisted of ten juniors who got the opportunity to participate in exclusive homecoming events. The selected Homecoming Royalty Court had the opportunity to experience Homecoming in a new light with exclusive events and special access to general student events. These events include the Homecoming Spirit Kickoff, Homecoming Speaker event, Block Party, Chancellor’s Breakfast, Parade, Tailgate tent and Crowning Ceremony at McGuirk Alumni Stadium. During these events, the Royalty Court presented themselves as a diverse and outstanding group of individuals who demonstrated role model student qualities while representing the UMass Student Body. Out of the 10 selected Stacey Muanya ’21 and Kieto Mahaniah ’21 were crowned on the field as the 2019 Homecoming Royalty.

Vivian Tran ’21, member of the Homecoming Royalty Court states, “Being on the Homecoming Court enhanced my UMass experience by opening up my network. I had the opportunity to meet other UMass students from my junior class and learned about many other organizations that they were involved with. Coming together, it was great to see our involvement on campus take action in many different ways”. From Vivian’s experience applying for the Homecoming, Royalty court is definitely something future Juniors should consider and there is no harm in applying!

 

Megan Phillips ’22

Publications Coordinator

 

 

 

How to Get the Most Out of Your Day as a College Student

The life of a college student can be stressful and tiring. Between academics, extracurriculars and balancing a social life, it can seem that there’s no time left for yourself. If this is something you can relate to or are just looking for ways to get the most out of your day stay tuned. Theses are a few steps you can incorporate into your morning routine that will help you start your day off more energized and in a more positive mindset.

 

Wake Up Early

In order to start your day off right and to get the most out of it, the first step is to wake up early. Many successful people are early birds- waking up early allows you to have more time in the day to be productive. So set your alarm and make sure that you wake up when it goes off (don’t keep pressing snooze). Plan to wake up accordingly with your schedule; I usually try to set my alarm for either 6am or 7am depending on when my first class starts, so that I have plenty of time to do everything that I have to do. Once you wake up, sit up in bed to make sure you don’t fall back asleep and take a few moments to meditate, this can allow you to connect with your inner self and start the morning off with a positive mindset.  Find what works for you; this could be taking a few deep breaths or thinking about things that you are thankful for.

 

Exercise

 Next, get your body moving; if you normally take part in a regular gym sessions try going in the morning and have a plan of what you are going to do prior to getting to the gym. If going to the gym regularly isn’t something that you usually do then just take a few minutes to stretch and do some simple exercises in your room. Some ideas of what you could do could be 15 push-ups or a minute of planking with static stretching. This doesn’t have to be super intense- just enough to get your blood pumping! 

 

Normal Morning Routine

After you get your blood pumping you can then do all the things you would normally do in the morning such as brushing your teeth, flossing, washing your face, showering, applying lotion, etc. (If you are going to the gym, then some of these activities may occur in a different order). 

 

Eat a Healthy Breakfast

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and starting your day off with the right foods has been shown to positively kickstart your energy levels and mood. Whether you take a trip to the dining hall or make your own breakfast, try to incorporate some sort of nutrients into your meal. It can be helpful to use a food tracking app or keep a journal. This can help you become more aware of what types of food you are consuming and what you are lacking. Also make sure to remember to drink water throughout the day, as it is easy to forget and become dehydrated. This can lead to binge eating and headaches.

 

Write Lists

Another thing to incorporate into your morning routine is to create lists, this can be one list or several separate lists of goals and work to accomplish throughout the day. Personally, I found that having one for my school work, one for my gym routine and one for my personal goals was the most effective for me. Creating lists can remind you of your responsibilities and allow you to keep on track with your work. It is also a great way to help create some organization in what can tend to be a complicated and busy life.

 

Be consistent!

Trying these steps can be difficult at first but if you keep persisting you will eventually be able to incorporate them into your daily morning routine. Consistency is key to getting the most out of your day.

 

Megan Phillips ’22

Publications Coordinator

 

Homecoming Royalty

Homecoming is approaching and Homecoming Royalty applications are out! But what is Homecoming here at UMass and what does it mean to be apart of the Homecoming Royalty Court?

The Homecoming Royalty Court consists of ten juniors who will get the opportunity to participate in exclusive homecoming events. The top two voted juniors from the royalty court will be crowned on-field at our homecoming football game against UCONN as homecoming royalty. Upon acceptance to the royalty court, applicants must attend all homecoming events. These events include the Homecoming Spirit Kickoff, Homecoming speaker event, Block Party, Chancellor’s Breakfast, Parade, Tailgate tents and Crowning Ceremony. Alum will select the top ten applicants to become members of the homecoming royalty court in which they will represent UMass in both fun and high-profile events. These individuals are responsible for representing the general student body and displaying appropriate behavior at all events.

Becoming a part of the royalty program is a great way to get your foot in the door at creating new connections and to get your name out there. It is also an amazing opportunity for students to get a taste of the profession

al world while still in college by allowing them to participate in high-profile events.

The first step in taking part in these awesome events is to apply. Applications for applying to the Royalty program include a copy of your resume, short answer responses, and a copy of your cumulative GPA and transcript. Eligibility requirements for this program are that you must be currently enrolled as a junior at UMass Amherst and have a minimum of a 2.75 cumulative GPA. Once it has been confirmed that an individual is eligible and has completed all the requirements for the application, the next step is a brief in-person interview and headshots for online voting.

If you are a junior here at UMass don’t miss out on your chance to be apart of this awesome event! Apply today at  www.UMassAlumni.com/royalty 

Megan Phillips ’22

Publications Coordinator

 

 

Why Should I Join SAA?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Student Alumni Association and how joining this student organization can benefit you!

First of all, what is the Student Alumni Association (SAA)? We are a high-profile registered student organization that works towards creating connections between our students and Alumni. We do this by representing UMass at high profile events and are responsible for coordinating many campus-wide events.

Our Mission is to create connections between Alumni and our students to enhance the UMass experience and foster the spirit of giving back.

We meet every Monday at 7pm in Memorial Hall, if you have any questions please feel free to contact our email at saa@umass.edu

 

Top 5 Benefits of joining SAA

1. First-hand opportunities at a future career or internship

Having the opportunity to meet and connect with Alum is the first step into life after college. Having the right qualifications and education is important, however, creating meaningful relationships with Alumni can sometimes allow for a foot in the door advantage when starting your career. Through our annual Networking night, students have met Alumni that have helped them get started on developing their career path upon graduation. Additionally, networking nights are a great way to get your name out there. Having these opportunities allow you to widen your connections with people and learn how they became successful. It’s important meeting people wherever you go and you never know what you will learn!

2. Large Scale Event Experience

Through our organization we run school-wide events; some past events include the multi-colored mile, ILoveUMass day, and our largest event Commencement ball. Having experience running large scale events is a great skill to have and something that can distinguish you from other students. To prepare for these events all our branches work together to plan, budget, organize, and execute these events. While preparing for these events we offer many leadership opportunities for members to get involved and learn about different aspects of running large scale events. Not only are these valuable skills to learn, running these events is really fun and rewarding!

3. SAA Perks

Being a member of the Student Alumni Association has its perks! Some of these special SAA perks include priority invites to events. This means that before we announce that we will be holding a networking event you have the opportunity to be an escort for high-profile Alumni; this allows you to create a personal connection with Alum before they reach the event. This is just one of the many exclusive opportunities that only SAA members get.

4. Resources

We are fortunate enough to have a great advisor Lindsay McGrath (Lindsay.mcgrath@umass.edu) who we look up to for both her incredible leadership and support, as well as an advisor. Lindsay is committed to our organization and works toward giving us more opportunities while making sure the organization runs as smoothly as possible. In the past, she has organized several workshops for us, including resume builders and conferences across the United States. Having this resource is something that many other clubs and organizations here on campus don’t have and is definitely a huge benefit.

5. Friendships

Here in SAA, there are many great opportunities to meet and connect with other students. Spending time with one another in meetings and planning events is one of the best parts of SAA. These lifelong friendships are what enhances our UMass experience. We look forward to welcoming you to our SAA family today!

Megan Phillips ’22

Publications Coordinator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An SAA Senior’s Farewell…

As my time at UMass comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to truly thank SAA for playing such a large role in my UMass experience. My name is Jamie and I have been a member of SAA for two years. I started as a general body member, then served as the Publications Coordinator, and am currently serving as the Vice President of Public Relations and Communication. Being a member of this organization has allowed me to meet some incredible people, learn about UMass as a whole, and learn about and development my own personal leadership and communication skills. The opportunities I have been afforded by being in this organization have been incredible and I know that the other members of the organization feel the same.

As I prepare for graduation in just a few weeks, I have been thinking a lot about what I wish “Freshman Jamie” would have known coming into UMass. I wanted to share a few of these thoughts with you as I wrap up my last blog post for SAA Today (*silently crying in Blue Wall*).

1.Get involved early and try new things!

Whether it be SAA (would recommend 10/10) or another club on campus, don’t be afraid to jump in and get involved. Being part of an organization gives you the opportunity to meet new people, try new things, and create a sense of belonging on campus.

2. Don’t EVER think you “can’t”.

It can be easy to think you “can’t” join a club or go to an event because you “don’t know enough” or don’t have “experience”. I will tell you that this simply is just not the case. Do not let your desires to get involved be drowned out by your hesitancy to join. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can lead you to some of the most incredible experiences. Trust me!

3.Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance or support when you need it.

People WANT to help you! If you are unsure about something, want help finding a club to join (Again, I would like to recommend SAA), or just need someone to talk to, REACH OUT!

4.Do what makes YOU happy!

College is a time where you can truly explore your dreams, interests, and passions. Be unapologetically yourself, make mistakes (and learn from them), and do what brings you joy!

 

With that being said, I want to thank SAA for giving me a place to grow and learn. The impact that this organization has had on my college experience will not be forgotten. It has been a joy to write for this blog and to be a “voice of SAA” and I look forward to reading this blog for years to come to keep up with all of the amazing things that the members of SAA are bringing to the world.

Best,

Jamie Downer ‘19

2019 Senior Spotlight

The spring semester is coming to a close in a few short weeks and with that SAA has been busy preparing for our Senior Commencement Ball, Join the Flock and the saddest realization, that our seniors are graduating! SAA currently has 30 seniors (including Anna Mitchell- our amazing exchange student from England!) that will be graduating in May. In being such a large, special group to our organization, we wanted to give them each the chance to speak upon their UMass SAA experience and where they’re off to next! We have 9 seniors stories that we wanted to share. We cannot thank them all enough for the amazing work they’ve put into SAA the past four years and can’t express how much we’ll miss them!

 

Shannon Emmett: Shannon Emmett, the current President of SAA, is a Political Science and History double major who joined SAA her sophomore year. She says she joined SAA to get more involved on campus and to work with people who were passionate about UMass and who wanted to create new traditions for the students of UMass. Her favorite SAA memory was Comm Ball 2017 because she loved seeing how all of SAA’s hard work paid off and that she got to be with many of the friends she met in the organization before they graduated. She describes the senior class as dedicated- which not only described the graduating class of 2019, but Shannon herself! Shannon also serves on the Board of Directors for UMass Women into Leadership and she helps coordinate student-alumni and philanthropy programs for UWiL as well! In her free time she loves running and she running a half marathon in May. She’s not quite sure what’s up next for her, but we know no matter what, she’s going to do amazing things! Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Shannon, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Elena Olsen: Elena Olsen, the current Graphics Coordinator, is an Art major who joined SAA her sophomore year. She joined SAA because Morgan told her it would be fun and her favorite memory was Comm Ball her sophomore year! She describes the senior class as well-rounded which couldn’t be more true! She has a thesis exhibition coming up in April and she’ll be working after graduation! Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Elena, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Chris Craig: Chris Craig, the current Conference and Awards Coordinator, is an Environmental Science major who joined SAA his sophomore year. He joined SAA because Zach brought him to one of the meetings and said his favorite SAA memory was shredding the dance floor with Zach and Alec at Comm Ball 2017. He describes the senior class as dedicated which is a true reflection of Chris as well. After graduation, he will be working and traveling! Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Chris, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Rob Michaud: Rob Michaud, the current Membership Coordinator, is an Operations and Information Management major who joined SAA his junior year. He joined SAA to meet new people and to connect to alumni and he says his favorite SAA memory was the 2018 Boston Alumni Networking night. He describes the senior class as driven and Rob is a great example of that drive! He’s volunteered at every I Love UMass Day since his freshman year despite not actually being in SAA until his junior year! After graduation, he will be working at Gorton’s Seafood in Gloucester and is hoping to get his MBA. Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Rob, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Rebecca Munro: Rebecca Munro (aka Becca), is the current VP of Traditions, is a Public Health and Sociology double major who joined SAA her freshman year. She joined SAA at first because of the networking opportunities, but she has stayed with us all four years because of the comradery and event planning experiences SAA has given her. Her favorite memory was the Fall Retreat her sophomore year when they went to the corn maze and ate cider donuts- she says it was so fun to do team building activities outside with SAA! She describes the senior class as dedicated, we couldn’t find a better adjective to describe Becca too! Something SAA doesn’t know about her is, she almost quit SAA after her first semester. She says she wasn’t getting as much as she wanted to out of it, until an E-Board member asked her to get more involved, in which she helped plan Multi-color Mile! She says to get involved in SAA, you won’t regret it! After graduation, Becca is going to get her Masters degree in Elementary education so she can be an elementary school teacher. Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Becca, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Jamie Downer: Jamie Downer, the current VP of Communications, is a biology major who joined SAA her junior year. She joined SAA because she wanted to have a sense of belonging and SAA was that place! Her favorite SAA memory was the CASE ASAP conference this winter because she loved getting to know more of the members in SAA and learning about what our organization does! She describes the senior class as dedicated, which can also describe Jamie herself! She wants SAA to know that each and every member in SAA is special to her and that she’s going to miss SAA so much! After graduation, she is going to get her Master’s in education and will be starting her career as a high school science teacher! Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Jamie, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Kasey McKenzie: Kasey McKenzie is an Operations and Information Management major who joined SAA her sophomore year. She says she joined because she saw that Jess was having so much fun in SAA and meeting so many people, and she wanted to join in! Her favorite memory from SAA was driving the golf carts in the 2017 Homecoming Parade. She describes the senior class as inspiring- just like herself! She has a younger sister at UMass and Kasey says she’s going to force her sister to join SAA, we can’t wait to meet her! After graduation, Kasey will be working for one of the big four accounting firms in Boston- congratulations, Kasey! Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Kasey, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Jessica Morrison: Jess Morrison, the current VP of Philanthropy, is a Management major who joined SAA her sophomore year. She says she joined SAA to become more involved in the UMass community. Her favorite memories from SAA were the Escape Room at the Hadley Mall and planning I Love UMass Day over the last three years. She describes the senior class as dedicated and Jess is a prime example of dedication! After graduation, she is going to be working for TJX! Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Jess, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Zach Richardson: Zach Richardson, the current VP of Membership, is a Math major who joined SAA his freshman year. He says he joined SAA because his sister invited him to one of the meetings and the rest is history! His favorite memory of SAA has been decorating for Comm Ball and all of the SAA Swamp Pot Lucks where he says is the best place to meet members and make friends! He describes the senior class as dedicated- Zach is a great example of this! After graduation, he’s moving to Boston to work and he’s hoping to get his Master’s degree soon too! Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Zach, we’re going to miss you next year!

 

Brianna St. Don: Brianna St. Don, former Administrative Coordinator and SAA superstar is an Accounting major who joined SAA her freshman year. She says she joined SAA because it had so many ways to get involved and she wanted to be a part of an organization that puts on events that have an impact of the university. Her favorite memory from SAA was decorating for hours in Mullins with her friends and being able to see it all come together in the end. She describes the senior class as committed- a quality she expressed throughout her four years here at UMass. She is currently working on her Master’s degree in accounting and will be starting work at BlumShaprio in January working as a full time audit staff. Thank you for everything you’ve done for SAA, Brianna, we miss you!

 

This senior class is certainly special and has had such a huge impact on SAA in more ways they could imagine. We’re so lucky to have such an amazing group of seniors who have dedicated so much time and energy into this organization and who have helped to shape it into what it is today. Commencement Ball will be Friday, May 3rd at 9pm and Commencement will be Friday, May 10th at 4:30pm at McGuirk Stadium. Best of luck to all our graduating seniors, U were, U are, UMass!

An SAA Member’s First Hand Experience…

Before I arrived at UMass Amherst, I knew I wanted to join an organization that incorporated aspects of service, leadership and community building. I mentioned this to my resident assistant before the activities fair, and she told me I had to join this club she was involved with. Now that I have been apart of the club for a few months, I have found that it was exactly what I was looking for coming to UMass.

Student Alumni Association has given me the opportunity to be involved in many activities on campus, whether it be as a leader or a volunteer. In high school, I was involved in many different organizations. I did not realize how important that sense of community was for my well-being until I got to college and felt extremely out of place. The first few months was almost an out-of-body experience because I did not feel like I was old enough to belong on a college campus. Being super involved back home was something I took pride in and it allowed me to develop skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise obtained in a classroom setting. When I leave my house at home, I know someone everywhere I go and with that comes a sense of security, which I can now say was the feeling I was lacking coming to college. Being able to converse with different people and even just see familiar faces is important, and the Student Alumni Association has made a huge difference in my experience at UMass Amherst. Being able to find that sense of belonging and security on such a large campus was something I knew I was not going to find right away, and I am so grateful I took my resident assistant’s advice last semester and joined SAA.

In my first semester here, I was able to volunteer to table for different events and help set up for the Multicolor Mile and fall Student Alumni Networking Night. I had a lot of fun meeting new people and becoming more involved in events. I liked being able to meet all the different students involved in the club at events, and couldn’t believe all of the opportunities that I was able to take advantage of. For example, I sat down with Mr. Jackson Katz this past October. Talking to him about his time at UMass and his work was fascinating and I was thrilled to be able to ask him questions directly, as I met him with only three other students. Later on in the semester, I was able to complete the ambassador training, and am thrilled to become more involved in alumni-based events this semester. Through SAA, I have been able to develop a new community here at UMass, which has made it feel more like home.

This semester I was able to participate in I Love UMass Day, which allowed me to interact with other students that I may not have otherwise had a conversation with. I also learned a lot about the institution and its history. Just last month I attended CASE ASAP, which was a phenomenal experience. I was able to connect with other students in the club on a more personal level and got to learn a lot about other Student Alumni groups from different universities in New England. I was not expecting the conference to be as much fun as it was, and I was able to come back with many new ideas for our SAA group here at UMass.

I am looking forward to events coming up this semester like Commencement Ball and also to the coming three years. I was recently elected the Vice President of the Training and Development Branch for the 2019-2020 school year. I cannot wait to take on this role and be able to help others become a part of this community while partaking in fun events and developing their professional skills. I have a lot to learn, but am so excited to do so.

 

Thank you SAA, for making UMass feel more like home for me and so many others!

 

McKenna Meagher ‘22

A CASE ASAP Conference Success!

We are so excited and inspired after returning for the CASE ASAP Conference this past weekend!

This year, we were able to bring 15 students of SAA to UConn for the annual district CASE ASAP conference to learn about all things SAA. Each year, this conference is held at different regional universities to showcase and collaborate with other student advancement groups. Here, SAA is viewed as an established and experienced organization where we are able to offer advice and share our knowledge to newer organizations. SAA had another successful year at the conference!

One highlight of this year’s trip was the presentation our seniors put together. Chosen by the District 1 CASE committee , Rebecca Munro ‘19, Zachary Richardson ‘19, Christopher Craig ‘19, and Shannon Emmett ‘19 put together a presentation on building a relationship with your advisor. In addition, Jamie Downer ‘19 was selected to lead a Roundtable Discussion session with other organization’s Communication members.

In addition to their presentations, UMass went 3 for 3 with the awards we applied for! Rebecca Munro ‘19 took home the Outstanding Student Leader award , our advisor Lindsay McGrath took home Outstanding Advisor award, and our organization received an Outstanding Student Advancement Program for SAA’s Commencement Ball.

Finally, a huge thank you goes out to Chris Craig, our training and development conference coordinator, for putting together one of our best conference experiences to date!

Megan Brennan ‘19

VP of Training & Development

I Love UMass Day 2019 – Another Successful Year!

As a tradition, the Student Alumni Association (SAA) holds an event that attracts hundreds of UMass students to come play games, win prizes, and write thank you notes to our university donors. We call this fun event, which happened to fall on Valentine’s Day this year, I Love UMass Day (ILUMD). This year ILUMD was held from 10-3 PM in the Integrative Learning Center, next to Peet’s Coffee. The event attracted over 534 UMass students who were able to write hundreds of  thank you notes in just 5 hours. In other words, ILUMD was a huge success!

 

The philanthropy committee, a subdivision of SAA with a specific focus on philanthropic event planning and community service, has continuously worked on improving this event over the past few years. This year, the committee was especially proud of the exciting prizes that we had to offer students who participated in  our event. These prizes included UMass pom-pom hats, phone wallets, pins, stickers, and free Peet’s coffees!

Additionally, the committee was proud of the inclusion of a trivia game as one of the ways to win prizes. This online trivia game asked students various questions about state and private funding on campus, as a way to promote awareness about the importance of donors. Some of the questions also included information about how donations provide things like scholarships and buildings and how the more donors we have, the higher UMass will be nationally ranked.

 

In addition to promoting the importance of donors, ILUMD is all about school spirit. ILUMD is a way to increase and instill pride in students. To do this, we encourage students to take a funny picture with our UMass backdrop and props or post on social media about a reason they love UMass with #iLoveUMass. We also ask students to put a heart sticker on their favorite part of our huge campus map. These little touches not only make the event more engaging, but also remind students, in the midst of cramming for exams and pulling all nighters, why they really love UMass.

Sarah Cotton ‘21, the Philanthropy Events Coordinator, tells us, “I Love UMass Day is one of my favorite events of the year. It is such a great way to thank donors and educate students about the importance of giving back. Also, the prizes are awesome and both students and SAA members have a lot of fun.” Thanks Sarah and congratulations to SAA and the philanthropy committee on another successful year for I Love UMass Day! ?

 

Jess Morrison ’19

VP of Philanthropy

Spring Semester Overview!

Spring semester is in full swing, and so is the Student Alumni Association!

We are preparing for a semester chock-full of events for students, alumni and our very own members. February is right around the corner, which means so is the beloved I Love UMass Day. On February 14th, the lobby of the ILC (Integrated Learning Center) will be buzzing with students sharing the reasons why they love UMass Amherst, writing thank you notes to alumni donors, and competing in games to win UMass swag and other giveaways.

February may be a short month, but our SAA members will be making the most of it as we journey to the University of Connecticut for the District 1 CASE ASAP Conference. SAA members (both seasoned and new!) will be presenting on how we have created an inclusive culture among our membership, and how we collaborate effectively with our advisor. Other student-alumni organizations look to UMass SAA for advice on events and programs, and we hope to maintain our award-winning reputation at this year’s awards ceremony.

In March, we are trying something new! Students and alumni alike look forward to our “Moving to…” series where alumni panelists advise an audience of students on the exciting yet challenging process of moving to a new city. This year, our “Moving to…” panels will be virtual! This new virtual setup will allow students to explore the process of moving to more cities, such as Boston, New York City, and D.C. Students will be able to enter virtual chat rooms where SAA members will moderate a panel of alumni, who will be speaking to their experiences right from their cities! We look forward to connecting students and alumni in this unique and convenient way.

Seniors can look forward to our ongoing senior giving campaign, which is designed to empower students to give back to an area of campus that matters to them, while also giving thanks to a faculty or staff member who positively impacted their UMass experience. You will not want to miss this opportunity to express your gratitude and leave your legacy at UMass.

On May 3, seniors can join SAA for our 21st annual Commencement Ball! SAA members are already hard at work planning the extensive decorations to transform the Mullins Center into a road trip around the United States, featuring cities such as New York City, Hollywood, New Orleans and Las Vegas. This celebration of seniors’ UMass experience will be one to remember!

The Student Alumni Association has an open membership and is always accepting new members, so if you are looking for ways to get involved in the UMass community, we welcome you to join us at one of our general body meetings- you can find us in Memorial Hall Monday nights at 7:00 P.M. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you at our spring events!

Shannon Emmett ’19

President of Student Alumni Association