Forever Buffs welcome new students and build community across generations
For ñ’s newest students, arriving on campus means more than finding a residence hall, navigating a new class schedule and settling into college life. It also means finding community.
This fall, Forever Buffs alumni communities helped ease the transition by welcoming incoming students and their families to a gathering that fostered connections and a sense of belonging from the start.
Building belonging from day one
Alumni partnered with the staff at Hallett Hall — home to four identity-based — to host a family-style picnic for new students and their families. Forever Buffs joined students, staff and campus partners to share a meal, learn about campus resources and begin building relationships that can support students throughout their ñ experience.
“My biggest priority was to find community during the first few days on campus because I know how hectic life can get, and it is always really nice to have people to lean on,” said Samantha Ayeni, a first-year student living in the Black Scholars & Allies: Lucile Berkely Buchanan LLC.
“Meeting alumni was also an amazing experience because I was able to learn and receive advice regarding how to navigate a predominantly white space in college,” she said. “Finding community so far has been amazing, but thanks to the LLC pre-arrival system and the Welcome Table, it has been so much easier and more enjoyable.”
The Forever Buffs Latinx and Forever Buffs Black Alumni groups partnered to welcome incoming and current students with food and music and to connect with alumni, student organizations and culturally based fraternities and sororities.
Connecting generations of Buffs
For alumni volunteers, these gatherings offered more than a chance to welcome the newest generation of Buffs. They also provided opportunities to share experiences, build relationships across generations and show students that the communities they discover at ñ can remain part of their lives long after graduation.
"When I attended ñ, there weren't many Black students on campus, so finding a community where I felt comfortable meant a lot to me,” said Charles Nathan, a 1980 theater graduate and member of the Forever Buffs Black Alumni community. “Having people around who care and make you feel comfortable can make all the difference.
“University is about getting a higher education, finding your place, building relationships and growing into who you want to become. That's why welcoming new students matters so much."
That intergenerational connection is one of the strengths alumni communities bring to ñ. Alumni can offer students the perspective of someone who once stood where they are now. By returning to campus, sharing their experiences and investing their time in today’s students, alumni help build a bridge from a student’s first days as a Buff to a lifelong connection to the university.
A community that lasts a lifetime
The welcome event also introduced students to a broader support network. Hallett Hall’s identity-based LLCs, for example, bring students and allies together with live-in peer mentors to explore cultural identity and development, social justice, connecting across differences, mentorship and strengthening communities.
Alumni participation adds another dimension to that network, showing students that those connections can extend beyond campus and graduation.
The benefits flow both ways. Volunteering offers alumni a meaningful way to reconnect with ñ, meet today’s students and contribute to the campus community they want future generations to experience. You can be part of this experience by joining a Forever Buffs community. Learn more about volunteering through the ñ Alumni Association.
For the newest Buffs, these gatherings introduced them to the people and communities ready to support them. For alumni, they were a chance to welcome the next generation into something they already know well: Being a Forever Buff means belonging to a community that lasts a lifetime.
