Every day in my office is different. You may have the type of job where nothing changes – paper in, paper out. It’s definitely not like that here, and I welcome the challenges (and the highlights) that come with being the alumni director.
For example, alumni in the Winston Salem area met at a restaurant area had dinner on Friday night before they went to the ORU vs. Wake Forest game. Several of them e-mailed me to tell me how much fun they had and thanked me for helping them arrange it. How nice!
Now when I refer to challenges, I have them as well. A group of our students are calling alumni right now as part of the Whole Person Scholarship fund-raising initiative. Although most alumni are supportive, once in a while a student encounters an alumnus who is unpleasant. Sometimes, alumni even hang up on the students – which baffles me. I’ve instructed students that I want to reach out personally to any alumnus who has an issue with ORU, no matter what it is. Not only do I want to remedy the situation if at all possible, I also want to make sure that the whole experience of calling alumni is a positive experience for our students. Sometimes that means helping them understand some of the things that trouble alumni – if I can.
No, my personality is not the “I-have-to-fix-everyone” type, but as a believer and an optimist, I do hope and pray that alumni can be whole in every aspect – living a life of victory. Yes, it is possible.
December 13, 2009 at 12:56 pm |
Wow loved reading this blogpost. I submitted your feed to my reader!
February 3, 2010 at 6:24 pm |
I just want to say what a fine job you have done. I have appreciated you updating me over the past few years. ORU is special and I am glad it is rebounding well.