“You wouldn’t believe what Tech alumni are willing to do for each other, the Institute and its students,” he said. “We are all connected by the challenge of Georgia Tech and know that if you ‘get out’ you’ve accomplished an amazing task.” Mentor Jackets, an Alumni Association program pairing students with Tech graduates, is open to all SAA members. Hanson called his own Mentor Jackets experience, in which he was partnered with Georgia Tech Foundation president and COO John Carter, IE 69, “incredible.” “I learned a lot from him, not only about trying to find a job,” Hanson said, “but what he did here at Tech, how he still stays connected, some of the challenges he deals with every day.” More than 350 students have signed up to be paired with alumni mentors this fall. Get Ready for the Real World is an SAA program designed to do just that — school members in home buying, job searches and salary negotiations. Students also will get real-world advice through Dinner Jackets, in which SAA members will dine at alums’ homes. Hanson was among a group of SAA members who had dinner at the home of Meade Sutterfield, EE 72, and his wife, Susan. “They cooked us dinner, which was really good, and we just sat around the dinner table and talked to him about what Tech was like when he was here and how we can develop Tech and where it’s going to go in the future,” Hanson said. “It was pretty cool to be one-on-one with some-
body who’s been extremely successful. It makes it feel like you’re really connected to somebody sitting across the dinner table.” Throughout the year, the 16-member executive committee will be staging Spirit Days, during which members will be encouraged to wear their SAA T-shirts. “If we see them, we’ll give them a free bag of goodies. Not only is this good for students because they get free stuff, but because SAA is going to be such a large organization, we really want students to feel connected to each other when they’re wearing the shirts, to be able to walk up to each other,” Hanson said.
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He said the organization is working to instill Tech “spirit, tradition and pride” among students. One initiative is the implementation of an hour-long traditions tour for students that will take them past such landmarks as Sideways’ grave and the Mickey Mouse clock and relate why they are there. The importance of giving back also is being stressed, Hanson said. “We really would like to promote the philanthropic spirit here at Tech. We want our students to feel like they’re giving back,” he said, “both in time and resources.” Waffle House, Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola and Rita’s Italian Ice were among the companies that gave to SAA members on launch day with free food and drinks and coupons distributed at the five sign-up stations. On the Fifth Street bridge, near the new Waffle House in Technology Square, the restaurant chain’s vice chairman, Bert Thornton, IM 68, signed autographs as samples of a menu staple, Bert’s chili, were distributed. As students sipped iced tea, Thornton answered their questions about how to succeed in the real world. Joe Irwin, IM 80, Alumni Association president, called the SAA launch “one of those remarkable days in Tech history that will set the stage for future alumni leadership and philanthropy.” More information about SAA, including upcoming events and opportunities for alumni engagement, is available at the organization’s Web site, gtsaa.com.
November/December 2010
Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine
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