No Money, No Problem: New ways to stay involved with USU

A few months ago, my wife took my daughter to a doctor’s appointment in Salt Lake.  She was happy to discover the physician’s assistant helping them was an Aggie. 


My wife is a proud USU graduate, too. 

When the friendly PA asked my wife what her husband does, she told her I’d recently started a job with the USU Alumni Association. To which the PA sourly replied, “So he’s the one who calls me all the time asking for money.”  

Ouch. I couldn’t decide whether to be hurt, or to feel sorry for my poor wife, who spent the rest of the appointment feeling a bit uncomfortable.

I don’t share this story to highlight an awkward moment between two fellow Aggies, but to address a common and unfortunate perception among many of our amazing alumni, including our formerly-friendly PA. That perception is: “the only thing the alumni association wants from me after graduation is my money.”

For those who understand how the alumni association works, you know this simply isn’t true. We’ll also take your first-born child and any beach-front property you’re willing to give us.

But seriously, while the alumni association does offer paid annual and lifetime memberships, we also provide a lot of other ways for you to stay involved with USU. And these don’t cost a dime.

For example, our new Career Aggie Network is designed to better connect our experienced alumni with students, help yourself and others plan for career advancement, and provide ways for you to mentor others in your industry.

Serving as an Aggie Rep in your community is another new way to show your support for USU. The alumni association has expanded, and enhanced, the impact of our alumni base by dissolving our chapters and instead selecting alumni representatives of USU in areas scattered across the country. Doing this provides an easier way for more people to get involved with the alumni association, with USU, and with their communities.

But wait, the fun doesn’t stop there. The USU AlumniAssociation will also be reaching out to you more to share your expert advice, personal experiences, and professional know-how with other alumni. 

Because the way we see it, we can all benefit from each other’s stories and talents. After all, we do all share one common connection – we’re Aggies for life!