Dear Fellow Alumni,
This has been a great year to be your alumni president. The Alumni Association has gathered at many events and celebrations, and I am unable to describe the enormous pride I feel for Missouri Western and what it offers. We celebrated a great Homecoming. a wonderful group of mid-year graduates and kicked off our Alumni Admissions Recruitment Team in St. Joseph and Kansas City.
Mary Vaughan ’79
In the coming year, we will focus on events and activities that cultivate alumni, emphasize diversity and inclusion, assist with enrollment and retention, and help the University in finding ways to counter the cuts in state assistance.
There will be a concerted effort to increase alumni attendance at Homecoming, the Alumni Awards Banquet, the R. Dan Boulware Convocation on Critical Issues, Commencement, and athletic events.
We will also introduce the Great Griffon Awards as a way to recognize more alumni who are doing exceptional work in their places of employment and/or their communities, as well as three new Alumni Association Student Leadership Awards to recognize the outstanding contributions our students make to campus life. Please make sure you check out the new criteria and the various nomination processes on the alumni web page.
We will also focus on developing more alumni networks to bring people together that share a common purpose or education area. We currently have several networks that are very active and meet many needs: Mama Griffs (for alumni with children), Forever Griffons (for our alumni who have graduated 40 or more years), Craig School of Business, the Black Alumni Network, and the Griffon Band Alumni. We are always open to more, so if you have an idea, please share it with us.
I strongly encourage you to get involved. Whether it’s volunteering, attending events, or joining the Western League for Excellence with your annual gift, you will be more aware of what’s going on and appreciate the assets the University is to community, region, state and beyond.
Our alumni are our greatest assets. No university is strong without having passionate and committed alumni. So make a plan today to get involved, show your spirit and be a part of this outstanding University and Alumni Association. You can be a part of the excitement!
Again, it has been a pleasure to serve you as your alumni president. Kudos to the Alumni Board and Colleen Kowich, your alumni director, for an outstanding year.
Thank You!
Mary Vaughan ’79