Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Letter from the President

These past years have been tumultuous to say the least. Social unrest, political uprising and a lengthy pandemic, which has caused health, financial and emotional challenges to name a few. Although most would like to quickly put these years in the history books, there were some rays of light that emerged. In a time of social distancing, several HWS alum of color created social closeness, coming together weekly with alums across generations on a zoom call to share their unique campus experiences. This rejuvenated enthusiasm for reuniting with fellow alums also created a groundswell of excitement regarding ALAA. To maintain the momentum, a group of dedicated alums formed a planning committee to shape the future of ALAA and build upon the great foundation that had already been established. The tireless effort that this committee has put in over the past year, has been nothing short of amazing. The team has built bridges with the Colleges to address unrest, planned very well attended general meetings and hosted many events and functions through the various subcommittees. As we continue our mission to build bridges with the Colleges, the students and most importantly each other, we would love for you to join us on this journey, and discover ways to get involved, through one of our many subcommittees listed below.

• Alum Outreach – To engage alums of color to reconnect and foster a community of engagement
• Student Outreach – To foster connectivity and support among students of color on the campus
• Personal Development – To provide education in the areas of finance, career and mental health
• HWS Colleges Liaison – To maintain connectivity between ALAA and the Colleges’ administrative offices
• Development – To raise funds to support the advancement of alum and student activities
• Technology – To enhance technical knowledge and share capabilities of ALAA
• Branding – To help promote the ALAA brand and enhance membership
• Communication – To coordinate with the Colleges and alums in the sharing of key information

We look forward to sharing all of the exciting programming that has been planned and encourage you to check the calendar on this site regularly for upcoming events.

Thanks, and we look forward to you joining us on the journey or attending our next exciting event.

Recent Grad Spotlight: Ameena Makhdoomi '17

As a first year at HWS, I originally wanted to be a psychology major. I took “Intro to Psychology and Social Psychology” but as soon as I began the “Intro to Media & Society” course, I knew I wanted to switch majors. When it came to searching for internships, I made sure to schedule appointments with former Associate Director Erin Brockway and Director Brandi Ferrara in the Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education.

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