A message from MUW Alumni Association

My Dear Alumni and Friends,

Springtime is in the air and you can feel The W’s love, light and warmth all around us. Visiting campus during this time of year brings back such rich and cherished memories. The sun during the spring appears to shine a little brighter as our beautiful campus is prepared for memorable events such as 100th night, BLUE, Homecoming and Commencement. Whether we are able to make these events in person, virtually, or even by browsing photos, the words of “Friends” can be felt within each event, interaction, or simple like because our hearts are truly joined together by the mighty bonds of love.

At the start of our time together, my vow to you was to be resourceful, connect and deliver. Th e Alumni Association and its Board of Directors have stayed true to the course, and it is my hope that we have made you proud. We have fully endowed our MUWAA Office of Undergraduate Research Scholarship and
are continuing our partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Research to ensure that those funds are utilized by our students in the best way possible. In addition to those efforts, the MUWAA First Generation College Student Scholarship to be awarded annually at $1000 starting in the next board year has been created. Our newly renamed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee has established a DEI round table series that focuses not only on the importance of learning more about DEI but how
to utilize your resources wisely to be your best self. Th is series has allowed us to meet our alumni right where they are and to pour back into our volunteers and alumni. Our Digital Media and Public Relations committee members have connected our alumni, our works, our events and our efforts to each other, the
community and the outside world by sharing stories through amazingly crafted Press Releases or via Social Media Series. We had another very successful BLUE event this year that attracted more students and community partners that were eager to hear from our alumni keynote speaker and panelists discuss the concept of PIVOT – When the Unexpected Happens. Events such as this have allowed us to connect with our students because they are our alumni of tomorrow. With the planning and progressive
initiatives of the Strategy and Support committee, we have been able to realign the Alumni Association’s website to be more user friendly and a better source of information. With the efforts of all
committees, we have focused on building a stronger relationship with our alumni, students and the University.

Homecoming 2023 was an amazing time, and I am still on cloud from the memories! Special thanks to the Office of Development and Alumni for their hard work and endless hours of support and
planning. This Homecoming was a little extra special as we debuted new events such as the W Family Picnic or the Students vs. Alumni Kickball game that gave us time to fellowship, network, sing and
dance with our friends from other classes and social organizations. Our second Magnolia Mingle event was nothing short of amazing as we celebrated exceeding our goals of raising $25 Million for the
“Be the Light” campaign, the launch of the Shattuck Hall – “A Home for the Future” campaign and the announcement of the MUWAA $80K pledge of support of the Shattuck Hall initiative. The support for Magnolia Mingle was surreal as we held another sold-out event and exceeded our goals thanks to your support. Many thanks to the Special Events Committee for the planning of an alumni favorite event!!

Of all the paths and journeys that I have experienced – this has been my favorite and most cherished. I have each of you to thank. This time serving you as your MUW Alumni Association president exceeded my expectations in a way that I could not have imagined. This letter is bittersweet, and if I am being perfectly honest with you, this has been my hardest letter to write. I would like to thank you for your trust, support and engagement during the 2022 – 2023 Board year. Without your unwavering
support, the impact and reach of the efforts of the MUW Alumni
Association would not be possible. I love each of you and I love
our MUW. Thanks for the best year of my life.

With W Love and Light –
Symone Bounds, Class of 2012
MUW Alumni Association President