A Whirlwind Year

New and exciting ways of bringing alumni together

Time flies when you’re having fun. Nothing could more accurately describe 2016 and the whirlwind of exciting activity that flowed through the year. In the first year of our three-year strategic plan for Trent Alumni, we set out and accomplished some lofty goals.

One of our priorities was to modernize the way we communicate with alumni around the world, and that is well underway. We have a new monthly enewsletter (make sure we have your current email address so you can check it out too!); we are expanding our social media presence; and, as a reader of TRENT Magazine, you’ve probably noticed that it’s gone through some changes as well. This is all a part of our drive to include more relevant and intellectual content in all of our communication channels.

We’re also seeing more people getting involved in programs. We are answering the call to bring together alumni through more than just year, college, or geography—and our first SIG (special/shared interest group) does just that! Our Community for Trent Women focuses on highlighting women in leadership roles and helping them to develop, and these events are open to all.

Alumni are always asking how they can be more involved with current students. Life After Trent programs help connect students and alumni—recent grads are asked to take part in our networking sessions with upper-year students, and alumni more established in their careers can become mentors to students in similar fields. * See below to find out more. These are just a few of the dozens of initiatives that are underway as part of the first year of the strategic plan.

This year also marked my first as president of the TUAA. There are so many amazing things I’ve been able to take part in, but three things stand out as I look back on 2016: Trent Durham – GTA’s first convocation in the Durham region, where I was able to welcome an enthusiastic, inspiring group of new alumni into the family; our 2016 Alumni Awards, where I was overwhelmed by the stellar alumni who are excelling in their careers, their communities, and at Trent; and my first Annual General Meeting as president, where there was so much interest in taking part that our council and committees filled up with skilled and dedicated individuals at record speed. None of this would have been possible without the Alumni Council, Alumni Affairs, and the broader Trent communities. Thank you!

Looking forward to 2017 brings a new set of exciting opportunities. As part of the 50th anniversary of the TUAA, we’ll be taking the Alumni Awards program on the road so that more alumni can participate in an inspiring evening of celebration; Stephen Stohn ’66 will be hosting all of us on April 12 in Toronto; Convocation 2017 should see our 50,000th alum join the family; and we will host our first alumni volunteer recognition event. The only thing that could make 2017 better is seeing and hearing from more of you. My first year as president has been challenging, inspiring, and rewarding— here’s to another year, enthusiastically serving and representing you.

*For more information and to get involved, check out mycommunity.trentu.ca/alumni/life-after-trent

The only thing that could make Alumni activities at Trent more exciting is you!

Jess Grover ’02

jessalynngrover@gmail.com