Greetings UM-Dearborn Alumni and Friends,
In this latest message, I wanted to bring you up to date on the activities of your Alumni Society, and also share with you what I consider to be a great example of the value of being an engaged alumnus.
The fall season brought us another great year of Michigan Football, and the UM-Dearborn Alumni Society hosted approximately 80 of our graduates at the Go Blue Tailgate during homecoming weekend in Ann Arbor. Each year the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan (AAUM) hosts this event, and brings together groups of alumni from all over the country. UM-Dearborn received special recognition from many of the speakers for our 50th anniversary, and the pictures below should help show how much fun we all had. Fortunately our alumni family was able to witness one of the few wins this season for the Wolverines. We’re planning to attend the Go Blue Tailgate again next season, and I hope to see you there.
With football season over and the holiday season behind us, we’re preparing for the selection process for this year’s Legacy Scholarship. As you may already know, the Legacy Scholarship is the second-largest privately endowed scholarship at UM-Dearborn, and last year we awarded approximately $26,000. Incoming freshmen, transfer students, and current UM-Dearborn students are eligible for the scholarship, provided they are related to a UM-Dearborn graduate. Please make sure your college-age family members apply for the Legacy Scholarship when they enroll at UM-Dearborn.
Finally, I wanted to relay a story to you that demonstrates the value of being an engaged member of our alumni family. A UM-Dearborn grad was recently separated from his employer of 12 years, a tier-one automotive supplier. In spite of the region’s economic condition and the historically high unemployment rate, it took this alum only 60 days to obtain interviews with multiple companies and to secure a job offer. This was record time indeed! He did it in part by leveraging his UM-Dearborn network. Whether it was feedback on his resume, introducing him to new contacts, or just making him visible in a deep talent pool, the power and energy of UM-Dearborn alumni were evident. What a story of UM-Dearborn alumni power, and what better motivation could there be for getting and staying engaged with the campus. I encourage you to connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook, or attend an event to enrich your network. Being engaged will no doubt benefit you, as it did this member of our alumni family. His story could be your story too.
In the Michigan tradition,
Joseph J. LaRussa
’99, ’03 College of Engineering and Computer Science Chair, UM-Dearborn Alumni Society
