麻豆影院

When Emerson Zamensky (EBio鈥�22) graduates in May, she hopes to take some time off before pursuing a career in green technology.聽

Her CU 麻豆影院 experience 鈥� especially her role as co-president of the Herd Leadership Council (HLC) 鈥� was one that helped her realize her dream. And while she鈥檚 still on campus, she wants to help connect her peers with the university.

鈥淥ur goal is to integrate all current students into the Forever Buffs family before they graduate,鈥� she said.

A student becomes a Forever Buff 鈥� a student or alum of the university 鈥� the moment they step foot on campus. This makes student engagement with CU 麻豆影院 a top priority for the Alumni Association. And who better to reach students than their peers? This is why students like Zamensky become Forever Buffs student leaders on the Herd Leadership Council.聽

This group is made up of passionate students connecting their peers to the Forever Buff journey through philanthropy, volunteerism, events and awareness opportunities. A few of their signature celebrations include the charity race Nearly Naked Mile, Fall Welcome and Spirit Days on the Quad.

鈥淭he goal of these celebrations is to really instill students with a sense of pride and belonging with the university,鈥� said Sara Abdulla (EnvSt; Psych鈥�13), the Alumni Association鈥檚 program manager of student outreach.

In addition to celebrations that benefit other students, they also work to develop leadership skills. They create student-focused programs 鈥� yoga classes, speakers from the Leeds Business School and lectures on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Another pillar of the HLC is its focus on philanthropy. In March 2020 and 2021, the HCL raised more than $3,000 from 77 individual donors through the Herd Mental Health Fund to support the Peer Wellness Coaching program, a free service available to CU 麻豆影院 students to help students set and achieve their wellness goals. Now, the group is focused on expanding their philanthropic efforts to engage more student organizations and individual student crowdfunders in 2022.

The group is a close-knit community bonded together by what they love 鈥� strengthening the CU community through engagement and philanthropy.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a very diverse group of people,鈥� Zamensky said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all from different walks of life and we all have different majors, focuses and interests. But we all have something in common: We鈥檙e all very passionate about making a difference in our community.鈥�

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Photo courtesy of the CU 麻豆影院 Alumni Association聽聽