Dear Alumni and Friends,
And, so it seems spring has finally sprung in the Shenandoah Valley. The budding trees and blooming flowers are a welcomed sight for me after the cold, wet winter we had this year.
Last week, I had the opportunity to join my husband, Pete, at President Fitzsimmons’ home as he is a mentor with the Leadership and Mentor Program (LAMP) at Shenandoah. The evening was spent meeting and getting to know mentees, local mentors, as well as Shenandoah staff and administration.
LAMP began in 2015 with the Harry F. Byrd Jr, School of Business. The program connects students with businesses, corporation, companies and community leaders to help guide and potentially bridge the gap from college to the real world. I have to say, I was once again blown away by our Shenandoah students. After mingling for some time, we were all asked to individually introduce and say a few things about ourselves.
To hear what these students have accomplished in such a short period of time, the activities they are involved with on campus, in our community and even globally, are unbelievable. I loved hearing each story of what brought them to Shenandoah in the first place. For most, Shenandoah offered a sense of home, which is exactly why I chose Shenandoah as well. I encourage each of you to take some time to check out the LAMP website to see how you can get involved with mentoring current or future Shenandoah students. The hope is to expand the program to multiple areas of study as well.
Also, just last week, the fourth annual Day of Giving took place. It was the most successful Day of Giving to date with 857 people contributing! It kicked off with what looked like an awesome cookout at Sarah’s Glen. Tons of food and giveaways for everyone that attended. The evening ended with a Celebration of Service for all the Hornets who gave back via volunteer projects in the community over the past year.
Kudos to the Office of Advancement’s Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs offices for a successful Day of Giving. I look forward to joining in again next year and I hope you will consider joining me as well. Happy Spring and Happy Bloom to all my local alumni as well!
Ashley Smith Warren ’07
President, SU Alumni Association