Commencement is a time of celebration for graduating seniors receiving their diplomas for the hard work they put into their years studying at college.

What seniors may not think about at first is how they will stay connected to their alma mater once they get that diploma and leave the university.

The Alumni Relations Office makes sure graduating seniors are informed and involved in alumni events right after commencement. The Alumni Relations Council members host a “Welcome to the Alumni Family” reception after the commencement ceremony, held either in a park or the dining hall, depending on the weather.

Vikki Beppler, associate director of Alumni Relations, works to set up and plan the alumni events, along with Event Planner Mary Fox. She said the event is meant to get graduates immediately
involved and connected in alumni events.

“It’s a cookie reception that we put on to welcome graduates into the alumni family,” Beppler said. “The graduates are joining over 16,000 living alumni across the united states and around the world.”

Beppler said graduates will receive invitations to all the events planned for them through their email, as long as they update their information with the alumni office.

“The best way for graduates to find out about what’s going on in the alumni office and the events that we’re offering, not just in Pittsburgh, but across the country, is to update their information with us,” said Beppler.

Pittsburgh and Waynesburg aren’t the only places Alumni Relations plans events for. They travel to set up events in places with high alumni populations, which they use their database to find. “Our alumni are all over, so we’re always switching up where we’re going, so if we’re not going somewhere where our graduates are moving this year, it’s likely that will be somewhere nearby in the future.”

Alumni Relations encourages alumni to sign up online or give the office a call. When graduates receive invitations, there is a link to sign up for the event online. Once they sign up, they receive reminders about the event.

“If there’s anything I want [graduating] seniors walking away with, knowing about the Alumni office, is that we are always a call or an email away, alumni@waynesburg.edu, if they’re looking to connect with graduates or they’re looking for more information,” said Beppler. “The next five years, making connections is really important in their careers, and we can help them do that by connecting them with fellow graduates.”