By LaVarn Gordon
Student and Alumni Affairs Liaison
The Alumni Advisory Council (AAC) has just completed their fifth year of service to the University and the alumni community. We are grateful for the work and dedication that this year’s Council gave as they worked to help us meet our mission as a University and create stronger partnerships with the alumni community.
The Alumni Advisory Council consists of alumni representatives from all five academic schools, working to support initiatives exclusively geared toward the alumni community. In short, they serve as a collective voice for the alumni community.
What the Alumni Advisory Council Achieved in 2020 and 2021
We especially want to recognize and appreciate the 2021 Alumni Advisory Council. Many of them have served for two consecutive years, as the organization was restructured into its current format starting in 2020.
We extend a very special thank you to the first-ever officers of the Alumni Advisory Council: President Lauren Crabtree, Vice President Oluwaseyi Lawal and Secretary Ross Patterson. With their leadership, the Council was able to accomplish so much within a two-year span:
- Distributing a Class of 2020 and 2021 challenge coin gift, where the Council shared a congratulatory message to the classes and provided a coin as the alumni gift to those who RSVPed to our virtual commencement ceremony
- Providing suggestions and content for our revised alumni website
- Submitting a proposal for alumni incentives for returning for another degree
- Participating in the first Campus Leadership Institute (CLI), where AAC President Lauren Crabtree shared information about the Council and its current projects
- Expanding the visibility of the alumni community by participating in the 2020 and 2021 Virtual Homecoming and the Alumni Virtual Hangout events
- Working with the Mentoring team to focus on increased engagement in the University Directory and the Mentoring program
- Building alumni relationships with the Academics Department
- Working with the Career Services team to better serve alumni needs
- Evaluating how to increase the visibility and engagement of the Alumni Advisory Council on social media
New Council Officers Are Coming for 2022
We are very excited to welcome a new group of leaders who are ready to continue the great work of the Alumni Advisory Council, taking it to new heights in 2022. The 2022 session of the Alumni Advisory Council is excited to continue building upon the foundation of our previous Council.
A new President, Vice President and Secretary were selected. In total, we have 27 members on the 2022 Council.
It is our privilege to introduce the new President, Vice President and Secretary of the 2022 Alumni Advisory Council!
New President: Hannah Via
Hannah Via (Class of 2022) has been selected to serve as President of the 2022 Alumni Advisory Council. She received her bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in English from American Public University in October 2021.
Hannah is excited to serve as the President of the Alumni Advisory Council. She looks forward to working with the Council to help bring positive change to the University in all areas that the school covers, especially when it comes to the involvement of alumni in school organizations and clubs.
New Vice President: Daniel Fidonik
Daniel Fidonik (Class of 2016 and 2019) was selected to serve as the Vice President of the 2022 Alumni Advisory Council. He earned his bachelor’s in emergency and disaster management in August 2015 and a master’s in management in February 2019 from American Military University.
Daniel previously served on the Council as a general member for 2020 and 2021. He would like to see the Alumni Advisory Council come up with ideas on how to improve outreach to alumni and to engage them regarding wants and needs. Daniel would also like to see the facilitation of networking amongst University alumni to create a strong community that helps them with employment, references, internships, and personal issues.
New Secretary: Suschna Scott
Suschna Scott (Class of 2020) has been selected to serve as Secretary of the 2022 Alumni Advisory Council. She earned her master’s in accounting from American Public University in February 2020.
Like Daniel, Suschna previously served on the Alumni Advisory Council as a general member for 2020 and 2021. She hopes to bring value to the Alumni Advisory Council and a synergy that will foster the interaction of the group, which will ultimately allow the Council to leave a legacy for success around the thoughtful projects that our alumni student body will appreciate.
The Alumni Advisory Council will have members from each of the University schools attend quarterly meetings. In these quarterly meetings, the Council and staff will explore ways to further support and engage alumni as we advance our University’s mission.
We are so grateful for the contributions of the 2021 Alumni Advisory Council. We are equally grateful for the dedication and the contributions to come from the newly appointed Alumni Advisory Council for 2022. We are better as a University with the participation of our alumni community.
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