Fall 2024 Issue

Yours and Mine


By Matt Brandon ’92
CEO, W&M Alumni Association

Illustration by Arthur Mount

Why make a commitment to become more engaged in the life of William & Mary? It is eminently rewarding. Your participation makes the student experience even stronger and more personal for each student and strengthens the global network that is the W&M community. In the process, you gain the fulfillment of seeing the university thrive as a direct result of your support. You also gain new and stronger relationships with fellow W&M people, the joy of working together on a common goal (and celebrating success together!) and a voice in the direction of this beloved institution. In addition, you increase the value of every William & Mary degree, including your own! How’s that for a fulfilling, rewarding and productive proposition?

At the W&M Alumni Association, our goal is for every member of our alumni community to be Fully Engaged (for more, see my spring 2024 column). Your Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Alumni Engagement staff are excited to partner with you to find that first — and hundredth — rewarding, fun and beneficial opportunity to serve William & Mary.

We want to see you on campus for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, and so do a lot of friends you may not have seen since you crossed campus on that awe-inspiring walk from the Wren Building, across the Crim Dell bridge and onward to graduation.

We want your professional experiences and community involvement to be inspirations for students, new graduates and fellow alumni. By sharing what you’ve learned from your unique life experiences, you can help students along their path to success.

We want you to join and help build communities of belonging (for one example, see “Introducing Familia”).

And we want your passions and ambition to create a better world and a better William & Mary. Your financial support helps W&M distinguish itself as the world-class university of which we have long been proud.

This is just a small sampling of ways we are ready to connect you to W&M and start enjoying your own path to Full Engagement.

You are the difference between W&M being good and great. And we at the Alumni Association are excited to work with you to build your personal role in making W&M even more extraordinary.

To get the best start possible on the path to Full Engagement:

  1. Update your information to stay informed.
  2. Register for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, Oct. 17-20.
  3. Sign up for One Network to connect to the W&M online networking platform.
  4. Make a gift to W&M to directly support students.

William & Mary is yours and mine. Let’s help show its greatness.