January 2013

Student Alumni Ambassadors take their show on the road

You may have noticed them on campus or at alumni events, sporting their signature blue blazers. They're the Student Alumni Ambassadors (SAAs), and they're an influential team of young leaders that create an important bridge between the student body, the alumni and the administration of UNCG.

And now, they're hitting the road to share their experiences at UNCG with like-minded students from institutions all over the Southeast. Six representatives from the SAAs will be attending the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Affiliated Student Advancement Programs (ASAP) regional conference in Atlanta, which will take place Feb. 7-9.

The students will be presenting during three separate conference sessions on ways in which students can play a more integral role in engaging with alumni and other university supporters, while also helping to build a culture of dedication to the university among fellow students.

CASE ASAP is made up of student organizations at more than 375 higher education institutions across North America, all with the common goal of enriching student advancement programming. These programs vary in nature, and include student spirit groups, student alumni associations and other student philanthropy programs.

“We want other universities to know what amazing ideas UNCG has and how they can implement them on their own campuses,” says Lyndsey Weckbacher, SAA Treasurer, who will be presenting at the conference. “I am most excited about the opportunity to network and learn from other Student Alumni Ambassadors.”

While UNCG SAAs have attended the event in the past, they decided to dedicate themselves even more fully to the event this year, presenting the maximum number of presentations that the event would allow. In addition, the organization's members engaged in a concentrated fundraising effort to subsidize their colleagues' presence at the conference. As a result, the SAAs have been able to acquire the majority of the funding needed to finance the trip.

However, there are still opportunities to help the students meet their funding needs. Anyone interested in contributing can do so by visiting the Alumni Association's giving page and making a donation to the Spartans First Fund. Just be sure to note "SAA" in the gift designation comment field.