By Anna Mahalak ’12
Welcome to the Young Guarde!
Like everything, William & Mary does – we always have to put our own unique tradition and spin on alumni engagement. So we are called Young Guarde. But what does this mean? Young Guarde stands for any young alumnus that has graduated within the past 10 years. The Young Guarde Council is a group of representatives from those class years that advise on young alumni programming.
The needs of William & Mary alumni are constantly changing, and that’s why it’s important that each year we add new members to the Young Guarde Council, especially the graduating class. Our newest members constantly bring new ideas to the table, and in 2021 we are focused on four key initiatives:
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Communications
- Career Management and Professional Networks
- City Ambassadors
Through this blog, we hope to feature the unique and interesting experiences of young alumni navigating life post-graduation while maintaining their ties and connections to our alma mater. While our paths and journeys may be different, one thing that remain consistent across all alumni that I meet is the love for the College and the experiences we had there. Those experiences can continue to be joyful, connecting, and impactful long after we leave Williamsburg.
I have served on the Young Guarde Council since I graduated on 2012, serving as Secretary, Chair, and now just as a regular member. One thing I wish more alumni knew about the Young Guarde Council is there is at least one representative per class so you can always have someone to go to with your ideas, concerns, and questions about the W&M young alumni experience who is a peer. By raising awareness of our Council and our initiatives, we hope to invite more young alumni to connect with each other in this community.
Whether you are interested in connecting with the W&M alumni network in a new city, furthering your career, learning about what’s happening at the College, or ensuring that alumni services are accessible and helpful to all alumni – or something else entirely – we hope you will leave us feedback here to keep these conversations going. We also invite you to share your own personal story about how you stay connected to the Tribe and submit to the blog! If you have any questions or suggestions about our communications efforts, feel free to contact me personally at ammahalak@gmail.com. Tribe Pride.
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