A Note from Alumni Relations

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asphalt got inside one of the helmet vents and cut my scalp,” she says. “I also had cuts on my upper lip, under my eye and the edge of my forehead and some gashes along the right side of my face, arms and legs. Fortunately, I only needed stitches,” she adds.

The Peace Corps kept her in the capital for a few weeks for regular check-ups at the hospital. She smiles as she remembers when she returned to school, how the entire community—her host family, students and teachers—all offered to drive her home so she wouldn’t have to walk. “Student after student kept begging me to ride home with them,” she says with a laugh. The community was close-knit, reminding her of her 'ohana at Chaminade.

“The insight I gained from the students was invaluable,” she readily admits. As a teacher’s assistant, Potter adds she learned so much more from her students than she could have ever imagined. “My students taught me patience and acceptance. They also taught me to acknowledge the cultural differences of education in Indonesia versus in the U.S. and that young adults, no matter where you are in the world, want to be heard. It was amazing to watch them blossom,” Potter says. Their hospitality and intelligence impressed her day in and day out.

Potter learned to speak English, French, Italian and German while growing up and could now count Bahasa Indonesian as her fifth language.

A LASTING IMPACT

The Peace Corps profoundly changed Potter’s life. She learned the importance of keeping an open mind and welcoming others from different backgrounds with appreciation and understanding. While the Peace Corps may not be for everyone, Potter believes everyone could benefit from broadening their perspective by experiencing other cultures. “Immersing yourself in a different country with a foreign language and culture will humble you, and you’ll learn so much about yourself,” she confesses. “The Peace Corps was a beautiful, eye-opening experience that made a lasting impact,” she adds.

Potter keeps in touch with her first host family and hopes to go back to Indonesia as soon as it’s safe to do so. Saya meninggalkan sesuatu istimewa. “I left behind something special,” she translates.

WHAT’S NEXT?

After her 27-month stint in the Peace Corps, Potter moved back to California. Today, she continues to serve youth by teaching part-time in an after-school program. What’s next for Potter? She hopes to put her communication degree to use and strive toward her next goal of becoming a producer or film director. I want to start by telling you about a special place. A place where you experience both the best AND “best to continue to work on it” of life situations. A place where you are known by name, not number. A place where you are encouraged to not just focus on the best foot forward, but embrace faith to move you forward. A place where you are provided optimal and formative experiences that help propel you to a life of purpose. These are characteristics of a home called Chaminade University. I am honored to be welcomed back into the 'ohana. I am happy to be home.

As a student, I had the privilege of receiving quality education and experiences from Chaminade University’s innovative faculty community. As a former staff member, I was a recipient of integral career and professional guidance by other staff. And I have the deepest respect for the Marianist community whose core values had such a transformative impact on not only my faith journey, but also my perception of service and community. This community is my family, OUR family.

To return and see the significant changes on campus, and the university's response to the ever-changing times, is an inspiration. But to see that the spirit of Chaminade and the Silversword pride continue to be the heartbeats to their successes as a tiny yet premier university

in the middle of the Pacific… well… that is a feat that I am proud to be a part of.

As Director of Alumni Relations, I am called to lead and expand Chaminade University’s alumni base through meaningful engagement opportunities.

In collaboration with the Institutional Advancement team, we have already taken some important steps to jump-start the vision and continue to create programs centered on the journey of our alumni of yesterday, today and tomorrow. It begins by establishing a presence while they are students and identifying how they are to be engaged at different stages after they graduate. This can be achieved by, and not limited to: • working collaboratively with the campus community, learning their roles and existing initiatives, then creatively and strategically highlighting them in ways that keep the alumni community connected and engaged; • telling stories of alumni successes and life stories that stem from formative experiences of a Chaminade education; and • creating new and elevating existing platforms to connect, communicate and engage—such as an alumni/student mentorship program and alumni to alumni support (career support, reunions), and being more strategic/creative about how we market our alumni engagement and programs.

Each one of these goals, a feat in itself. However, I have become a firm believer that before you run and get to your goal, you must first take little steps and learn from the journey. But neither I nor the Chaminade University campus community can do this on our own. We also need our worldwide Silversword 'ohana—you, the alumni, and your family and friends.

While I challenge myself, I would like to ask you to take on a similar yet simple challenge of staying connected. We hope you continue to share your life journey with us, follow us on social media platforms, send us an email or postcard, visit campus (when you feel safe of course) and visit our website to continue to see how we are all growing together. There are many ways to stay close.

Continuing that effort of connection and cultivation when a student leaves campus is instrumental to the success of our university. For our institution to be involved in the achievements of our alumni, and for them to be informed on the progress of the university, creates a special relationship—one of growth and perpetuation of the Chaminade legacy.

I am looking forward to this exciting, integral challenge. I hope you are too! It is all for Chaminade University, it is all for YOU. Go Swords!