On Friday, Sept. 20, Waynesburg University Alumni Relations held their 15^th Annual Alumnae Luncheon. The event took place at the Southpointe Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Canonsburg, PA, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and was open to all women who previously graduated from Waynesburg.

The webpage for the luncheon described the event as a “great opportunity to network, hear from our keystone speaker, receive campus updates, and reunite with classmates.” 

“We had about 50 alumnae at the event, which is comparable to past years,” said Maura Fenske, Waynesburg University’s coordinator of development and alumni relations. 

The keynote speaker for the luncheon was Mindy M. Zatta, who is a Private Wealth Advisor for Ironbridge Wealth Counsel in Austin, Texas. According to the press release on the Waynesburg University website that covered her involvement of the 2023 commencement ceremony, Zatta holds an MBA from Waynesburg University, which she earned in 2009. Since 2017, Zatta has been awarding scholarships to female students who are pursuing a business major at Waynesburg, and regularly attends the annual luncheon to stay connected to the community of women associated with Waynesburg University. 

David Floyd, the director of Development and Alumni Relations at Waynesburg University, shared more about what this event means to alumni and provided more about the luncheon itself. 

“Being that this is the 15^th annual one, it kind of speaks for itself,” Floyd said. “There is really a consistent interest from some of our female alumni having something to look forward to on their calendars in September where they can all come together to celebrate Waynesburg women, past, present, and future. It’s also a great opportunity to network with others and get some updates on campus as well.”

Floyd elaborated on some of those updates to Waynesburg’s campus that were brought up with the attendees of the event. 

“Some of the new general updates to the university were shared, such as the renovations in the new criminal justice building, the renovations going on in the library with the pathway center, and the new center for technology education that is going to be coming into play here soon as well,” Floyd said. 

With homecoming right around the corner, Floyd described some of the many events that are coming up, including the Wiley Family Field Fest and certain reunions among all the different departments.

“The Friday night before homecoming, we always have our all-alumni celebration and combined class reunion,” Floyd said. “Saturday, there’s a lot that’s built around the football game against Bethany. We have our Wiley Family Field Fest down at the football stadium at the pavilion behind the end zone that is closest to the scoreboard. “We’ve also got a lot of specific reunions Saturday morning, like the Stover scholars’ brunch, education department, chemistry and bio, and nursing.”

Homecoming festivities will start on Thursday, Oct. 17, and will continue until the 8 p.m. conclusion of the men’s soccer game versus Franciscan at Wiley Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19. All Alumni Office-hosted Homecoming events are free, according to the alumni events section on the Waynesburg University official website.