Being a Bobcat Beyond Campus

Gwendolin Schemm / February 9, 2020 / 2k

What do an astronaut, a Broadway actress, Minor League baseball player, MLB coach, and executive producer have in common?

They all share the same alma mater – Frostburg State University.

“It’s amazing the talent that comes out of the school,” Shannon Gribble, the Director of Alumni and Donor Relations said. “We have a lot of really invested alumni.”

Alumni celebrated the unveiling of the Bobcat Statue at Homecoming in 2019 // Photo Credit: Alumni Center

The Alumni Center aims to keep alumni connected, with each other and the institution by providing meaningful ways to stay in touch whether it be through a mentoring opportunity, speaking to a class, admissions efforts, participating in the Career Expo, or providing an internship or employment opportunity. These efforts help “showcase alumni to current and prospective students.” Alumni of diverse graduation years and backgrounds volunteer on boards like the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Foundation Board to act as “good ambassadors for their university.”

Without the financial support of alumni, Frostburg State would not be able to offer various opportunities like Alternative Spring Break, study abroad or program support for particular departments or organizations.

Did you know Dr. Jackie Durst played soccer at FSU? // Photo Credit: Alumni Center

The Alumni Center is active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr. They host a live interaction on Facebook titled Thursday Night Live and publish both a quarterly e-newsletter and “Profile” magazine. Follow the Alumni Center on Facebook, Gribble urged, to “see what alumni are doing and what you can do.”

The Alumni Center hosts a Welcome Center in the Lane University Center on Homecoming Weekend // Photo Credit: Alumni Center

The digital age has sparked the Alumni Center to embrace a different model of alumni relations that moves more toward social media to reconnect and reengage alumni.

Along with showcasing the experiences and talents of alumni to the student body, the Alumni Center also recognizes the “time, talent, and treasure” of alumni. Every year, they honor outstanding alumni to acknowledge personal and professional success.

Alumni gather at a Washington Nationals game // Photo Credit: Alumni Center

With an alumni base of over 44,000 the Alumni Center is working to establish annual events to engage alumni like the Crab Feast and baseball outings. This past Homecoming [fall 2019], nearly 200 alumni came back to campus to connect with the university. Class year affinity isn’t a thing, Gribble noted. The young and old can talk, and “generational differences don’t matter.” The Alumni Center aims to host events to draw alumni from all generations as a way to connect and engage them with one another and the institution.

Both undergraduate and graduate students are able to be a Student Alumni Ambassador // Photo Credit: Student Alumni Ambassadors

The Alumni Center is also home to the Student Alumni Ambassadors, a committee of student leaders who meet twice a month to “bridge the gap between FSU and alumni” by facilitating campus activities, representing the student body at alumni events, and creating relationships with alumni. Email Brooke Kirchner (brkirchner@frostburg.edu) for more.

“Just being a Bobcat means something,” Gribble said with a smile.

The Alumni Center is located at 18 E. Main Street and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, visit https://www.frostburg.edu/alumni/alumni-center.php.

The Bottom Line would like to thank the Alumni Center for supporting student journalism and distributing the newspaper.