The UAA is a student organization that promotes school spirit at Geneseo and encourages networking among alumni and current students. (Courtesy of Undergraduate Alumni Association)
Once students graduate from college and receive their diplomas, they choose whether they would like to attend graduate school, get a job or pursue other routes. Regardless, it is crucial that students establish connections with current Geneseo students as well as alumni. The Undergraduate Alumni Association at Geneseo helps students establish their job networks, find job references and offer guidance to students.
This organization is a way to get in contact with alumni, but there is more to it as well. UAA is a way to show off Geneseo pride, as well as get the most out of the college experience. President of UAA and early childhood education major senior Becca Rodriguez explained its purpose via an in-person interview.
“UAA is all about school spirit, school tradition and class pride. We pride ourselves with being a connection between the alumni and the [undergraduates]. We are all about cultivating that class pride, that class affinity and school spirit, anything school-related basically is what we do,” Rodriguez said. “Our goals [is] to be as involved on campus as we can be. Everyone here is an [undergraduate] and we will turn into alumni someday, so that’s our goal.”
This club is open to anyone who wants to join. There is an open membership in the fall, and then closed membership in the spring. Even during closed membership, students can reach out to the organization to ask questions about joining. The organization also only meets every other Thursday for about 30-45 minutes, so it is fairly low commitment. This is great for anyone who may want to join an organization but may not have a lot of free time to dedicate.
There are a few events that are traditionally held through this organization as well.
“[We attend] First Knight, where you get your class pin … Each class year gets a Geneseo icon represented, and that is where the class affinity and class pride come in. We also do [fun holiday] photos toward the end of the semester to represent the holiday season,” Rodriguez said. “It’s like a holiday card for your family at home. We like to say it’s a holiday card with your family here because all of the connections you make here feel like family for the most part.”
There is also a traditions challenge list that students can find on the organization’s website. It is a list of 50 things to do before graduation, which is something fun to do throughout the four years here.
COVID-19 has also affected this organization like it has affected most others on campus. Meetings are online, and members still do not know whether events will be held later in the school year. While some of the events cannot be held, there are still some activities on the traditions list that students can participate in, such as lounging on the College Green.
This organization is a great way for students to have fun while at school while still preparing for the future. If students have questions about the Undergraduate Alumni Association, feel free to contact their email uaa@geneseo.edu.