“Alumni networks are about more than memories.”

Since the last Torch, I’ve had the honour of meeting many of our alumni, not just in Victoria but across Canada and in Asia. It’s part of my commitment to regularly visit each of the cities where our university’s alumni can be found in major numbers. It’s rewarding and I’m encouraged by the feedback I hear from alumni who may live far from Ring Road but still carry UVic very much in their hearts and welcome the opportunity to reconnect.

You never know when or where you might bump into a UVic grad. This spring when I was in Beijing it was terrific to meet an alumnus from Hong Kong who happened to be staying at our hotel and noticed that we were hosting a reception for alumni. He was able to join us to talk about the exciting developments at UVic but he was also able to create new connections with fellow UVic alumni in his part of the world.

Being part of our alumni network is not just about the shared memories and the shared experience of going to UVic. It can be more practical than that, offering all sorts of rewards—both personal and professional.

When I represent the university at alumni gatherings in places like Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Toronto, Ottawa or Vancouver—all cities that I’ve visited in recent months along with President David Turpin—I do so with the strong belief in, and commitment to our alumni. Our alumni events not only bring the university to our graduates, they’re also about our alumni benefiting from connecting with each other. It’s something that will pay dividends for any alumna or alumnus who wants to plug into our network.

A relaxed gathering of old friends and new is always great but between those opportunities, make sure you stay connected in all of the other ways that you can. There’s the UVic Online Community (olcnetwork.net/uvic) where you can post your profile, pictures and connect with UVic friends anywhere they may be. Don’t forget to send a Keeping in Touch note to the Torch (e-mail torch@uvic.ca) with your latest news so that we can include it in our next issue. It’s fun and one of the most popular sections of the magazine. It’s just been redesigned for this edition, too.

I would love to hear from you directly. If there’s another way we can help you keep your connection to UVic strong, you can always reach me at shannonv@uvic.ca or you can e-mail Alumni Services director Don Jones at djones@uvic.ca.

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