By Jacquelyn Letizia Staff writer
In 2013, the Alumni Office at Susquehanna officially began the SU Senior Champions program, which is based off a long-standing tradition at Susquehanna.
According to Susan Kreisher, the associate director of alumni, parent and donor engagement, the program is based off the philosophy that if students are engaged in the university before graduation, they will become more engaged alumni.
“The Senior Champions program is designed to foster engagement by teaching students about [Susquehanna’s] rich history and diverse traditions, fostering tradition and pride in [Susquehanna], promoting and inspiring class unity and connecting them with alumni to help them prepare for life after [Susquehanna],” Kreisher said. “The five traditions that seniors are required to participate in to become champions reinforces this.”
The five traditions included in the program are advocacy, giving, success, service and spirit.
Advocacy can be achieved through recommending a high school student go to Susquehanna, completing a survey about how likely the senior would be to recommend a senior to attend Susquehanna, writing a note to someone at Susquehanna who made a difference to them or writing a note during Thank-A-Grad Day. Only one of these tasks is required to complete the component. Kreisher noted that this aspect of the program is a way to help promote students’ alma mater.
The second aspect of the program is giving. This aspect can be completed by giving a monetary donation of at least $5 to Susquehanna.
“The tradition of giving is a way to continue the Susquehanna circle of support that makes the college experience possible for our students,” Kreisher said.
She added, “More than 96 percent of current [Susquehanna] students receive some form of financial aid, including the nearly $2.5 million donated by alumni.”
The third part of the program is success. The success factor of the program can be fulfilled by connecting with an alumna or alumnus on LinkedIn, attending a networking trip or participating in Brea Through in Febuary.
“The tradition of success puts students in touch with alumni to help them prepare for their next destination beyond Susquehanna,” Kreisher explained.
The fourth portion of the program is service.
This can be completed by participating in SU SERVE on April 22 or through other service hours that were completed between July 1, 2016, and June 30, 2017.
“The tradition of service is a way for students to demonstrate how they live out the university’s mission of service,” Kreisher said.
The fifth and final tradition is spirit, which can be achieved by submitting a photo of a student wearing Susquehanna gear or participating in Orange and Maroon Day on May 1.
The spirit aspect of the program is to help increase Susquehanna’s visibility in the public eye.
Senior students who complete all five of the traditions will receive a free “I Got My Ginkgo at SU” t-shirt as well as an orange and maroon cord for graduation.
Students will also receive a ginkgo button for every tradition they complete.
“Monetary donations are important and greatly appreciated, but so too is spreading the word that Susquehanna alumni love the place enough to encourage high school students to attend, serve their local communities, have a strong network of support for students and each other and proudly display the orange and maroon,” Kreisher said.
She added, “Through senior champions, we hope that becomes ingrained in students so they continue to support Susquehanna throughout their lifetimes.”
Terry Lark, a senior champion from the class of 2017, explained what she has gained from participating in the program throughout this year.
“It’s been a nice way to wrap up my time at Susquehanna,” she said.
She added, “Completing the different sections has been a nice reminder of what’s most important to our university, and it’s an honor to be recognized.”
Currently, there are 34 senior champions in the class of 2017.
A full list of past champions can be found on Susquehanna’s website.
Students may complete the requirements and find more information on the program by going to the Senior Champions page on the Susquehanna website. The website also encourages seniors to join various alumni communities across the Northeast through social media, such as LinkedIn.