Alumni welcome new UW-Madison students at summer celebrations
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni in 24 U.S. cities are greeting new UW students this summer to celebrate the start of the students’ college experience.
Chapters of the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) are inviting more than 3,000 incoming students to Badger Student Send-Off Celebrations to congratulate and support new UW–Madison students and their families.
“We want to provide an opportunity for Badger-to-Badger student and family connections,” says Suzanne Dow, who organizes the send-off celebration for the WAA: Chippewa Valley Chapter. “We share information with students and their parents about Madison, our local alumni support and scholarship giving, and hometown Badger activities. Our alumni get to see that, through this next group of students, the Badger tradition of excellence continues — and we love that!”
Badger Student Send-Off Celebrations often feature picnics or tailgate parties where alumni teach students about UW traditions, such as how to sing time-honored songs like “On, Wisconsin!” and “Varsity.” Incoming students can connect with fellow newcomers before classes begin, and parents are able to talk in person with other students’ families.
Alumni have already hosted events this year in Orange County, Calif., Cincinnati., Indianapolis and Chippewa Valley, Wis. and Boston. Upcoming Badger Student Send-Off Celebrations include:
- Aug. 1: Pittsburgh; Twin Cities
- Aug. 5: Chicago
- Aug. 8: Hawaii; Los Angeles, St. Louis, Mo.
- Aug. 9: Fox Valley, Wis.
- Aug. 10: Austin, Texas; Waukesha, Wis.; Wausau, Wis.
- Aug. 11: Brown County, Wis.; Marshfield, Wis.
- Aug. 12: Milwaukee
- Aug. 14: Atlanta; Big Apple Badgers (New York City)
- Aug. 17: New Jersey
- Aug. 19: Fond du Lac, Wis.; Washington, D.C.
- Aug. 25: Connecticut and Western Massachusetts
There are more than 100 UW–Madison alumni chapters in cities worldwide. Chapter activities include hosting alumni, students and friends at events, such as Founders’ Days and Badger game-watching parties; and raising funds for the university’s Matching Dollar Scholarship Program. More information is available at http://uwalumni.com/chapters.