Contact:
Leah Seupersad, 404-413-1354
University Relations
Ruth Gourley wears her Student Alumni Association T-shirt proudly around the Georgia State University campus. It’s just one way Gourley is helping to increase school spirit and spread the word about the new organization.
Gourley is among more than 70 GSU students who have already joined the new Student Alumni Association (SAA), which aims to unite current students with alumni to create strong values, pride, and unique traditions for GSU.
“I like SAA because it’s a very school spirit focused organization. I go to Georgia State and I love Georgia State and I want to get other people to show their school spirit,” said Gourley, a sophomore majoring in psychology.
By joining SAA, students have the opportunity to gain leadership skills, perform community service and network with GSU alumni. For instance, next month members will attend the “Dinner with 12 Panthers,” where local alumni host dinners in their homes for students in an effort to make GSU a smaller, friendlier place.
“It’s also awesome how many alumni want to be involved with Georgia State and to have connections with those people. It’s always good to hear what they have gone through and to have them advise you on your career,” Gourley said.
Domonique Black, a freshman majoring in managerial sciences, says she joined the organization for the alumni connections, but she was especially inspired by a conference she attended in North Carolina to learn about what student alumni associations are doing at other universities.
“All of the schools main focus was on school spirit, because without school spirit you can’t call yourself a community,” Black said. “We have over 30,000 students on the GSU campus and in order to feel more connected we need something to bond us together and school spirit is what will do it.”
Members, who apply and interview to be part of SAA, must have a positive attitude, maintain a 2.5 GPA, and serve on committees, such as recruitment, membership or marketing. SAA attends and organizes a host of events, which this semester has included an Alumni Association Lunch and Learn and GSU Capitol Day.
“I think the thing that is most unique about this organization is that it is truly diverse and mirrors the campus life here at Georgia State,” said Jasmine Stewart, the Alumni Association’s student relations coordinator.
Christina Million, assistant vice-president at GSU over the Alumni Association, says the whole point of creating the organization was to bridge the gap between students and alumni.
“As a Student Alumni Association member they are the students out there educating their peers about what it’s like to be an alumnus and to stay connected,” Million said. “We want people to always have strong affinity for Georgia State and when they’re students they already have that affinity and we don’t want them to lose that once they graduate.”
For more information about SAA, contact the GSU Alumni Association Office at 404-413-1433.
Published March 21, 2011