Dressed for success

Alumnae Board organizes Business Boutique

Adeiye Pilgrim ’14 models a suit from the Business Boutique. A chemistry major, Pilgrim is from Trinidad and Tobago.

Last spring and summer Alumnae Board member Marnie Vanderpoel ’76 organized volunteers to start the Business Boutique section of the SHARE Free Store. “The intent of the boutique is to fulfill a need for appropriate interview and business attire, while easing what might be a financial strain on students entering the workforce,” says Vanderpoel.

Alumnae participating in Reunion 2013 were invited to bring gently used articles of clothing and accessories to the Business Boutique, and they arrived on campus armed with suits, shoes, purses, and jewelry. To Vanderpoel, the boutique provides alumnae with a reason to clean out their closets: “The alumnae know this generation of Hollins women will take our country by storm, and why not help them get a start with the lovely clothes hanging in our closets?”

The Business Boutique is still accepting donations of business clothes and accessories. If you would like to make a contribution, please contact Ashley Glenn, director of the Career Center, at aglenn@hollins.edu or (540) 362-6938.

A virtual hike up Tinker Mountain

Rally for Referrals climbs to top

The hashtag set the stage: #RallyforHollins. And alumnae rose to the occasion, answering the challenge posted by the offices of admission and alumnae relations to “lace up your boots, put on your feather boa, tutu, and fairy wings” and rally for Hollins by referring high school seniors as admission prospects. Alumnae (virtually) hiked up Tinker Mountain and sped past the goal of 50 referrals by November 1 with:

• 92 new referrals of high school seniors from September 1 through Tinker Day (Oct. 30), with seven more arriving by November 1
• Participation by 41 class years, from the class of 1952 to the class of 2013

Classes vied with each other for the most referrals, and the class of 2000 won, with eight students, followed closely by the classes of 1979 and 1984, with seven each. The classes of 2007, 2005, 1995, 1978, and 1973 referred four students each.

Race to Reunion seeks 200 referrals

A new hashtag announces a new challenge: #RacetoReunion. As of January 1, alumnae of all class years were encouraged to participate in the Race to Reunion challenge by referring a high school student of any age by May 30, 2014. The goal? 200 new referrals.

The class among nonreunion years that refers the most students by May 30 wins in the nonreunion group, and the reunion class among all the Reunion 2014 classes that refers the most students will be announced at the reunion celebration on Saturday, May 31.

“Your referrals of talented students have a direct impact on both the quality and quantity of the next classes of Hollins women,” says Stefanie Niles, vice president for enrollment and marketing. “In addition to the opportunity to receive a $500 one-time award for those referred before being admitted to Hollins, each student you refer receives individual outreach from an admission counselor, personalized attention, and special incentives to visit campus.”

To learn more: www.hollins.edu/rallyforhollins

Twitter.com/HollinsAlum
#RallyforHollins and #RacetoReunion
Facebook.com/HollinsAlumnae
Instagram.com/HollinsAlumnaeAssociation

Resources for alumnae

New ways to connect with one another and with Hollins

Among the many ways alumnae can connect with Hollins and with one another is the free online career speaker series, offering the nation’s top career authors and experts in live webinars offered once a month. Graduates can watch live or archived webinars at any time. Go to www.hollins.edu/alumnae and click on “Career Resources” for more information and a link to the webinars.

Here’s a summary of the other services and features offered to graduates. You’ll find more information on all of these resources here.

CAREER RESOURCES

• Post job openings at your company on the Career Center LinkedIn group. Students and alumnae/i can view and respond to you directly.
• Search for jobs on HU Careers on the Experience Network.
• Connect a student to an internship by requesting the Internship Guide for Alumnae from the Career Center.
• Network with alumnae/i on the LinkedIn Alumnae/i group and connect with students on the LinkedIn Career Center group.

ADMISSION RESOURCES

• Refer a student: www.hollins.edu/refer
• Share with prospective students 12 Reasons to Choose a Women’s College \ and 16 Reasons to Choose Hollins.
• Volunteer for admission by talking to prospective students, attending a college fair, and more.

ALUMNAE RESOURCES

• Volunteer with a chapter: connect with alumnae in your area and attend alumnae events.
• Volunteer for your class.
• Share news about your life with your class reporter for the magazine.
• Come back to campus for reunion, May 30-June 1, 2014.

SOCIAL CONNECTIONS

Connect with the Hollins Alumnae Association and one another on these sites:

Facebook.com/HollinsAlumnae
Twitter.com/HollinsAlum
LinkedIn.com: Hollins University Alumnae/i
LinkedIn.com: Hollins University Career Center
LinkedIn.com: Hollins University Alumnae/i of Greater NYC
Instagram.com/HollinsAlumnaeAssociation