Dear Alumni and Friends,
I can’t help but start my message off with a proud alum moment that occurred over the past two weeks. I am a Winchester native and John Handley High School graduate. My husband and I had the pleasure of watching the John Handley varsity boys’ basketball team play twice in five days at the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center during the Virginia High School League state tournament. Seeing Shenandoah open the center for this event and seeing the camaraderie of the community as they cheered these young men on was amazing. The atmosphere was electric, and people were so impressed by the facility. I was so happy to attend and so proud to be an alum of Shenandoah University. In fact, for the second game, I decided to forego my Handley gear and proudly wore my SU gear! I can’t wait to attend more events like this and see our community come together with Shenandoah.
As spring is just around the corner, there are many things on tap in the coming weeks at Shenandoah. This year, Shenandoah will host the 10th Annual Business Symposium at Halpin-Harrison Hall at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 30. The keynote speaker this year is Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media.
And, Dayton Alumni Weekend kicks off on Thursday, April 12. If you have not had the opportunity to attend this weekend in the past, I encourage you to do so. Thursday evening festivities begin with a welcome reception and dinner where Jane Pittman ’89 will be honored. Friday is packed full with a memorial service, followed by the Dayton Society Luncheon. This will include the famous and always entertaining “Dayton’s Got Talent.” Following the luncheon, those at Dayton will travel to Winchester to join in on the Conservatory Alumni Reunion festivities.
The 5th Annual Conservatory Alumni Reunion begins at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, April 13, with the “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere” mixer in the Brandt Student Center. The evening continues with a rehearsal preview of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” As if that wasn’t enough, the evening ends with a Pit Party at 10 p.m. Saturday is packed, starting with the Conservatory Celebration Luncheon at noon, which features the conservatory’s Rising Star and Alumnus of Excellence award winners, and recognizes those celebrating a reunion. Following the luncheon, the groundbreaking ceremony of Dove’s Nest at the Village is slated for 2 p.m. Our very own Wilbur Dove, ’59, and his wife, Clare, made this third building in The Village a reality with their very generous gift to Shenandoah. I hope you can join me in spending the weekend in celebration!
Ashley Smith Warren ’07
President, SU Alumni Association