The enduring bond between alumni and their alma mater
The unexpected energy of the courtyard was the same as 25 years before: laughter weaved its way through the trees, a gentle buzz of voices sharing stories, and the faces crowding under the college arch. The theme of the evening was not only “Rewind” but the actual feel of returning alumni to celebrate, reconnect, and reflect. From its inception, a band of students has since evolved into a sturdy alumni family, where each member has an individual story to tell about the college.
As students arrived back then, the campus was a place to discover. Clubs, study groups and late-night talks were introduced during freshers’ week and linked strangers together as companions. The early connections grew stronger with group assignments, campus festivals, and the intense competition of exams. The students were varied and energetic: artists, coders, activists, athletes and thinkers who exchanged thoughts in the library, on the field and over a cup of chai. This diversity has been a hallmark of the alumni community, and continues to be a rich source of talents and perspectives that enhance every alumni gathering and effort.
The alumnus was transformed into a network of individuals over the years and now consists of a group of people. The alumnus has grown from a list of names into a living network over the years, and is now a collection of individuals. It’s the managers creating sustainable solutions, teachers influencing young minds, entrepreneurs starting businesses and professionals securing meaningful careers across a range of industries. A lot of people have turned their passions at the campus into meaningful careers. A surprising majority says that work today is “satisfying”, not just “stable”, when queried. Work offered growth, values and creative contribution.
Replays of the best songs of youth drifted about throughout the night. There were tales of late-night trips to the library when deadlines were near, and someone was always there with a cup of coffee; there were stories of the impromptu drama performances that used empty classrooms as stages; there were stories of the cricket team’s untimely triumph that brought the campus to a state of celebration. Nostalgia was lodged in the mundane: A cherished bench beside the canteen, graffiti on the arts block, and an old notice-board covered in posters from past fests. Such common memories are not just funny; they are a bond that connects alumni over time, and they foster a sense of the moments that formed them.
One of the most heartbreaking events was when I, who had been a teacher since those days and am still one today, encountered the class that graduated in 2001. It was an amazing experience to see those faces, which were once mine, those of my students, now seasoned professionals themselves, and parents. They spoke with ease; they spoke of the careers they had built and made their own with the foundation we provided them in our classrooms, of the challenges they faced and how they grew in that experience, of how the values we talked about then continue to guide them. I heard from them about their families, their work and their small joys. The exchange was a good reminder that teaching is an ongoing conversation; the teacher-student relationship evolves but never ends.
In addition to the nostalgia, it highlighted that the evening was a testament to the fact that alumni are the lifeline of long-term relationships with an institution. The alumni association is not just a roll call, it is a community that has a forward momentum and is reciprocal, contributing to the college’s ongoing vitality and future. Alumni provide institutional memory, mentoring, and materials and are a link to industry and research and to civic life. Their connection provides job opportunities, internships, and project connections for current students, and also serves as a way for alumni to remain connected to a place that helped make them. This is “affection made concrete” – memories of friends and family inspire tangible commitments that invest in the institution.
This was the point made evident by a number of concrete projects announced that night. Alumni will be matched with students for career advice in mentorship programs, internships will be arranged at alumni workplaces and collaborative projects will bring together student teams to work with advisors from industry. Finally, several alumni made commitments to hosting workshops, supporting research, and supporting campus festivals. These pledges demonstrate the power of an organized alumni community.
As the night drew close, groups stayed under the light and reminisced about their favorite moments, some taking pictures that would be shared on social media timelines. It was more than just a smile of memory; it was a smile of reassurance: friendships last through the years, careers can be rewarding and the ties that bind alumni together are unbroken. Rewind was more than an evening, it was a testament to the fact that the college’s history lives on in its people.
Many people felt lighter walking away, as they had reconnected and had plans for the future. The alumni went back to their lives with new networks and new purpose; empowered by the great feeling that comes when they are part of an alumni community that will remember, support and celebrate them.
The writer is a Professor in the Department of Commerce, CHRIST (Deemed to be University); Views presented are personal.
