April showers brings May flowers, right? That’s the old saying at least and so far, it is ringing true. It was a wet April here in the Willamette valley but that’s good news for the mountains, which have record snowpack, the lakes and rivers which are full of water and of course, for nature. How is everyone doing out there? I hope you are all having a good spring so far and have some fun plans for Memorial Day weekend this summer. Speaking of plans, we have quite a few here at WOU and there are tons of fun and exciting events and activities coming up. It’s so good to be back together again and to be able to see each other. Take a peek at what’s coming up including an After Hours on the 10th featuring WOU’s new volleyball coach, the spring game on May 14, the Grand Re-Opening of the ITC building and the Wolves Auction. See the full calendar of events and make your plans to come back. 

April was a very busy month. We hosted a few events, had an alumni Board Meeting, planned for upcoming events and switched into “on” mode for the busy season. Check out the recaps of the month’s highlights. 

Queer Alumni & Ally Reception

On a gorgeous spring day on April 7 a group of folks came together on campus to enjoy drinks, appetizers and each other at the Queer Alumni & Ally Reception. WOU Alumni Relations, Triangle Alliance, Wolf Pride Network and Stonewall Center came together to host this inclusive and fun event for the LGBTQA+ community prior to the drag show. CM Hall ’00 made a few remarks and it was great having everyone together, including our interim president Dr. Jay Kenton in attendance. Thank you for supporting this event, we look forward to more in the future. 

WOU Board Meeting

 The WOU Alumni Board of Directors met for their spring meeting on Saturday, April 9. The meeting was a hybrid style where half of the members called in via Zoom and the others met in person. Discussions included voting on the Alumni Award of Excellence winner, planning for Commencement and summer events, volunteer recruitment and donor appreciation. There are board seats available and we are looking for interested people. If you are interested in becoming a WOU Alumni Board member, email alumni@wou.edu. 

World After WOU:Mentor Mixer 

What’s better than watching people make connections and developing relationships? Not much, especially when it’s students and alumni professionals creating these relationships through mentor opportunities. On April 21, Alumni Engagement and SLCD partnered to put on World After WOU:Mentor Mixer. This event was held at WOU:Salem and included more than 20 alumni/community professionals and 30+ students from WOU. Students were able to find the professionals working in  the careers they are interested in and enjoyed conversation and encouragement. It was a wonderful night of networking and connections. We look forward to the next collaboration event.