Once a Cardinal, Always a Cardinal
For so many graduates, Ball State played such a memorable role in their lives that they want to maintain and strengthen the valuable connections they made at the University.
Joining a local alumni chapter is a great way to stay connected to Ball State and to get updates on the University’s progress, future goals, and activities. Strong alumni groups can be found in Muncie, Indianapolis, Northeast Indiana, Michiana, Chicago, and Cincinnati.
“Being part of a team that provides opportunities for alumni to become more engaged with Ball State and other local alumni has been rewarding,” said Beth Snyder, ’78, one of the organizers of the Cincinnati Alumni Planning Team. “There are alumni who are business owners and community leaders making an impact in so many ways. Educators, business leaders, alumni working in communications and media, architects, and more—fun and interesting people I would have never met without the local alumni chapter.”
Alumni organization leadership teams from all over the state and regionally meet several times a year to brainstorm ideas for engaging local alumni, divide the work on planning, and execute events such as annual networking forums, Cocktails with Cardinals, and sports and concert event meetups. Time is also spent catching up with one another.
Several alumni groups also coordinate philanthropic projects and provide scholarships for students in their area attending or planning to attend the University. There are also virtual events to connect those who may not have a local alumni organization near them.
The Chicago Chapter recently held a virtual networking forum where they invited seniors planning to move there for work.
“We want recent graduates to know that there is a huge alumni community to welcome them and keep them connected—wherever they may land,” said Raymond Garcia, ’16, president of the Chicago Chapter.
