Dear HBCU National Alumni Association Presidents,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your alumni association members!
As we celebrate this season of gratitude, I encourage each chapter to consider reaching out to international students and other students who may not have the opportunity to travel home for Thanksgiving.
This is a wonderful opportunity for alumni association members to open their hearts and homes, invite students to share in Thanksgiving traditions, or simply organize a gathering where students can experience the warmth, fellowship, and support of their alma mater’s alumni family.
More importantly, it gives students an opportunity to see firsthand who we are as alumni, what our alumni associations represent, and what we can do to support, encourage, mentor, and help them succeed beyond the classroom.
CHAPTER THANKSGIVING ACTION PLAN
I am asking each NAA chapter to take the following five steps:
- Identify Students: Contact your university’s student affairs office, international student office, or student organizations to identify students who will remain on campus during Thanksgiving.
- Organize an Outreach Activity: Plan a Thanksgiving meal, chapter gathering, small group dinner, or informal fellowship with students.
- Invite Alumni to Participate: Encourage chapter members to host students, provide meals, volunteer, or contribute toward the activity.
- Build Lasting Relationships: Use the gathering to introduce students to alumni, share experiences, offer mentorship, and explain the resources and opportunities available through the alumni association.
- Continue the Engagement: Collect contact information with students’ permission, invite them to future chapter activities, and establish ongoing mentoring and student engagement opportunities.
Our responsibility as alumni extends far beyond graduation. We have an opportunity to demonstrate that students are not alone and that they are part of a family and network that genuinely cares about their well-being and future.
Let’s make this Thanksgiving more than a holiday. Let’s make it an opportunity to build relationships, strengthen our alumni communities, and create lasting connections with the next generation of alumni.
My challenge to every NAA President: Don’t let Thanksgiving pass without making a meaningful connection with at least a few students who need to know that their alumni family is there for them.
Thank you for your leadership and for all you do to support our students and our beloved alma maters.
Wishing you and your families a blessed, joyful, and Happy Thanksgiving!
Warm regards,
NHBCUAAF Leadership
Ty Couey
NHBCUAAF President
“Determination creates opportunities, resulting in success.”
