Alumni Notebook
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Happy New Year Alumni
Royal Roads alumni and Alumni Relations have much to look forward to in 2009 after a 2008 filled with achievements; from Olympic gold medals, best-selling books, promotions and award nominations to completed projects and theses and the beginnings of brand-new adventures. |
by Christine Gross, manager, alumni relations
Personally, celebrating New Year’s Eve is always a bit of a letdown. Essentially NYE amounts to 10 weeks of preparation for a 10-second holiday. When you realize it took longer to get into your control-top pantyhose than it took to actually celebrate the event – it’s a problem.
Speaking professionally however, Royal Roads alumni and Alumni Relations have much to celebrate this year, and more to follow in 2009.
InRoads has profiled amazing alumni achievements from around the world including Olympic gold medals, best-selling books, promotions and award nominations, completed projects and theses and the beginnings of brand-new adventures.
Alumni Relations had more opportunities to hear these stories firsthand than ever before in 2008. From wine-tasting in Vancouver to an evening spent with Robert Bateman in Calgary, Alumni Relations is working hard to bring alumni together. Planning is already underway for 2009 alumni events in the Okanagan, Victoria, Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver.
Meeting face-to-face is not always easy, so we’re delighted with the brand new
AlumNet, our online social networking site built exclusively for Royal Roads alumni. While we’re still working out a few bugs, we’re excited about the new ways AlumNet can connect you to friends, faculty, mentors and even potential employers.
The alumni community grew bigger in 2008, with 1000 new graduates joining the ranks. Ex-cadet and RRU alumni came back to campus for Homecoming, and ex-cadet alumni are now subscribing to
InRoads and will hopefully be contributing some great stories and perspective.
The past year brought sad news as well, as the Royal Roads community mourned the loss of Lorrie Ross, Shirley Case, and staff member Debra Barr. The university will continue honouring their memories and the ideals these women represented as we go forward.
As for me, my favourite moments of 2008 were the times I got to learn, laugh and meet with you. Being a one-woman department can be a little overwhelming at times, and so I always appreciate when I can connect with the people who matter most.
As always, we want to hear from you so keep sending your feedback, stories and updates and hopefully I’ll be seeing you in the New Year – just as soon as I recover from that 10-second holiday.
Happy New Year Alumni!
ALUMNI UPDATES
Congratulations to BCom graduates
Ben Johnson and
Heath Johns, co-founders of the Vancouver-based company
Urbantastic. Urbantastic, a tech-based company, is poised to revolutionize the volunteer sector by creating a place where traditional community organizations and a new generation of volunteers can come together, resulting in a more capable non-profit sector and a whole new volunteer population. Urbantastic has just launched a Victoria B.C site and you can learn more and get involved at www.urbantastic.com. Look for a more in-depth Urbantastic feature in an upcoming edition of
InRoads.
As an RRU alumnus or ex-cadet, you are an important member of Royal Roads' community; a community comprised of alumni, learners, faculty, staff, and volunteers. Your fond memories, friendships, experiences, and academic accomplishments are valued elements of Royal Roads' history - and an essential part of its future. Please keep us up-to-date. Send your news to rru-alumni-relations@royalroads.ca