Ohio University’s Alumni Association has been involved with over 290,000 living alumni, according to OU’s alumni dashboard. The association works to create events to entertain and include both alumni and current students, as well as connecting and informing them.
On its Facebook page, the alumni association creates events for alumni according to their location, calling alumni in specific locations to join in on a networking opportunity, or meet with current students and faculty to inspire and connect.
Throughout April, the alumni association has created and promoted Bobcat Beautification Month events to encourage people to connect with nature and give back. On Earth Day, members of the Emeriti Association, Student Alumni Board and Alumni Association staff came together to “beautify” Emeriti Park.
In an emailed statement from Jenn Bowie, the assistant vice president of alumni relations and annual giving and executive director of the OU Alumni Association, the Alumni Association’s mission is to connect Bobcats to one another, to campus and to the education they received through their time at OU.
"OHIO's Alumni Association is proud to create opportunities that connect Bobcats to one another, and their University, forever," Bowie said in the email. "Our annual Bobcat Beautification Month is not only a great example of that spirit in action – it also underscores our continued commitment to provide experiences for alumni, students and friends of OHIO, wherever they are. We invite alumni and students to participate in programs like this one and to join the Bobcat Network to stay connected, to give back, show their pride in the University and to strengthen the connections that make our Bobcat community so special."
The Bobcat Network is a way for students and alumni to get together and bond as fellow Bobcats. After graduation, many people want to give back to the university, in donations or time. Some alumni cannot stay away from Athens and visit whenever they have the chance.
Heather Gerstaher studied social work at OU from 1993 to 1998. She was out with a group of her alumni friends on Court Street, reminiscing on their days as students. She said the most memorable and cherished time as a student was when she was first beginning to meet her friends.
“I would just say freshman year, bonding with the people that we met in our dorm room and how close we became; those are the bonds that lasted 30 years,” Gerstaher said.
Kristin Tench studied hearing and speech sciences from 1993 to 1997, and said OU makes her feel separated from the “chaos” occurring outside. She said there was no greater experience than meeting the people she still connects with today.
“It's just the people that I've met, I would say, like, just your overall experience with the fact that this is just like a true college town,” Tench said. “You're kind of in your own little bubble.”
Melissa Westmeyer studied English literature and Spanish from 1993 to 1997, and said she appreciated the education and experience she received.
“I had a really unique study abroad experience from the department of modern languages, so that was phenomenal,” Westmeyer said. “And I would say pivotal in my personality and everything that we did to grow up. So yeah, I am who I am today because of Ohio University.”
Westmeyer shared she donates to the Alumni Association because of her study abroad experience. She said she will always advocate for the program “all day and every day.”
After May 1-2, a new class of alumni will be joining the Bobcat Network and can begin to support their university after graduation if they choose.
