Office of Alumni Affairs Launches First-Ever Young Alumni Council
The Office of Alumni Affairs established the first-ever “Young Alumni Council” in December 2020. The council is composed of YU graduates from the past seven years and is focused on creating opportunities for recent alumni to remain involved with the YU community.
According to Director of Alumni Engagement Aliza Abrams Konig, the council was created because of a noticed trend of YU alumni only staying involved in YU affairs for the seven years after their graduation. There are currently 15 alumni on the council, according to Konig. The council is also divided into six subdivisions, focusing on areas such as social events, transitioning from college life to professional life, professional networking, fundraising, career placement and Israeli alumni programming. Alumni can join the council by being recommended by current members of the council or reaching out to the council.
“Alumni join the council to be involved in shaping the college student experience,” Konig told The Commentator. “We are happy to have more people get involved in the council, they’re welcomed to reach out to me.”
The council will provide alumni engagement and outreach efforts through events, projects, fundraisers and networking opportunities; these programs will be catered towards alumni who have graduated within seven years. Programming will also include educational components, such as seminars discussing transitioning from undergraduate to professional life, budgeting and finance decisions and “skill sets and tools” students are “not necessarily taught in school, but need,” Konig said.
No events have taken place yet, but the council is currently planning marketing strategies and intends to run its first program by June. The council intends to run programs outside of the New York area as well.
Council members expressed excitement about working with YU on this new endeavor. “I am excited to help connect fellow alumni with each other and with Yeshiva University by creating professional networking events, and I also look forward to supporting current students who want insight in getting into the business world,” said Chayim Mahgerefteh (SSSB ‘20), a current member and last year’s Sy Syms School of Business student council president. “I am honored to have this opportunity and I know that this council will do big things for YU,” he said.
Before the announcement of the Young Alumni Council, the Office of Alumni Affairs provided various opportunities for alumni, including YU ALUminate, a networking and job-searching platform for alumni, professional networking groups based on career, and various alumni committees based on geographic location, among other programs.
Konig said, “If people feel there is a better way for alumni to be connected and be supported, that’s what this alumni council is here for and they should share their ideas. This is a really exciting time and the current council members are really talented and dedicated members who are willing to do great things for the university based on the positive experience they had in YU.”
Abigail Grigoryan contributed to this story.
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Photo Caption: The council is composed of YU graduates from the past seven years.
Photo Credit: Yeshiva University
