Happy CLA Alumni Appreciation Week

I started volunteering on the Backpack Board of Advocates because I wanted to give back to the next generation of advertising and marketing students. I’m incredibly grateful for the mentors and leaders who supported me early in my career, and this felt like a meaningful way to pay that forward. I’d recommend volunteering because it’s one of the most rewarding ways to stay connected, give back, and make a genuine impact. When you volunteer with students, you’re not just offering your time, you’re helping shape someone’s future. And in return, you gain fresh perspectives, new relationships, and a sense of purpose that’s hard to find elsewhere. It’s such a fulfilling way to use your skills for something bigger than yourself!

Remember back when you were a student on campus, that first week of the new academic year... sunny, warm weather...activity abounding in every corner of campus? Remember the feeling that exciting, interesting, and engaging activities were just around the corner, perhaps in the next lecture hall of your new class? Or maybe it was the joy of being reunited with friends after a summer off. Well, volunteering often feels that way! It plugs you back into the richness of the University community and everything it offers. Volunteering refreshes your viewpoint, reengages and challenges your mind, and provides you with intergenerational interaction. For me, volunteering with the UMAA Pride Group has introduced me to new friends and new ideas. And frankly, it's a lot of fun. The best part? There are no assignments or final exams!

I started volunteering because it allowed me to stay close to people I care about—people whose work, missions, and determination I believe in. I continued volunteering because it feels like a way to honor and pay forward the support and care others gave to me along my own journey.  It's really energizing and inspiring to be around students, researchers, teachers, staff and so many who are really passionate about what they do and the impact they hope to have in this world.

I began volunteering [with the UMAA Student and Recent Alumni Council] because I wanted to give back to an institution that helped me grow as a person and learner, positioned me for professional success, and gave me some of my most cherished memories.