A Note from Alumni Association President Donna C. Normandin
Dear Fellow Alumni,
The old saying that "time flies when you’re having fun" is so true and exactly how I feel about my tenure as president of the UIW Alumni Association, which ends in June. It has been a great honor that I will cherish for many years to come.
Starting an alumni association is not quite as easy as I thought it would be. Our graduates are so diverse that trying to nail down what we should be doing as an organization has proved to be challenging. But thanks to a very dedicated and hard working alumni board, over the past few years we have started a program that can continue to grow.
So, what did we do? Well, we organized and started to reach out to alumni by having activities in which you could participate. We had networking opportunities in San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi and McAllen, all of which were well attended. We increased awareness and involvement in Alumni Weekend, Light the Way and other events on campus. Alumni came out to support UIW in the basketball game against rival St. Mary's University. Graduates also helped with the annual Phonathon and other UIW fundraising activities.
Several projects are still in progress, such as making sure the alumni have a presence and support the football season that begins this year. Football Head Coach Mike Santiago has been a great supporter of our alumni group and keeps us involved. You'll be hearing more as the year goes on about how you can be a part of this new program and other programs at the university.
As my term as president comes to a close, I would like to thank the alumni office staff, Lisa, Rick and Gladys, for their dedication, hard work and friendship. I would also like to thank all the board members who served with me. It has been my distinct honor to have served in this capacity over the past two years, and I plan to stay involved. I have enjoyed being back on campus and being a part of the growth of the university. It's exciting, and I'm so glad to be a part of the history now happening at UIW. I know the new Alumni Association president will continue to develop the association and I will assist however I am needed.
I encourage all of you to get involved and stay involved. You'll find it a most gratifying experience and a lot of fun.
Sincerely,
Donna C. Normandin , ’97 BBA