By Lisa Gleva, Executive Director, Advancement
A community is animated by its members. Our community has a rich tradition of supporting each other. In the past few months, I learned about an incoming student desperate to find housing who was helped by Father Madden, about a student who faced unexpected challenges who found support with Father Kelly, and about a student who needed a place to practice playing his bagpipes who now does so at Founders House in the evenings, in the room our work-study students occupy during the day. Take a moment to read Lydia Dillenbeck’s story about her first connections on campus later in this newsletter.
It’s been a terrific year at St. Mike’s. While we share a heightened awareness of personal responsibility for the health of our neighbours, we are buoyed by the return of in-person classes, conferences, lectures, and other gatherings that feed us socially and intellectually.
Before Christmas, Advancement hosted the Annual Dante Lecture, a public lecture supported by the generosity of donors Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni, the Langan Lecture in memory of the late Dr. Janine Langan, a family-focused party to welcome Santa Claus on the day of the City of Toronto’s annual parade, a Christmas Tea featuring student caroling, and, for the first time, we joined with colleagues across campus to hold an outdoor Christmas Market featuring student and alumni vendors. Hundreds of alumni gathered, a tribute to the importance of our community.
I’m often asked about how alumni can be involved at St. Mike’s. I’m pleased to let you know that there are a variety of ways!
The USMC Alumni Association continues to seek Board Members. This year, they have introduced the USMC Alumni Awards Program to amplify the celebration of St. Mike’s alumni. Get in touch to learn more about becoming a member of the Alumni Association Board, and to nominate alumni for recognition.
Our Young Alumni Committee has been working on a modern approach to mentorship, in collaboration with Student Life. This program will enable micro-connections and self-directed mentorship. Alumni will create a profile within a password-protected page, allowing students and young alumni to connect directly for guidance. Stay tuned!
The Friends of the Kelly Library holds an annual book sale and directs proceeds to support key initiatives at the Kelly and beyond. We recently celebrated the opening of the FOTKL Multipurpose Room, a beautiful and functional space on the main floor of the Kelly. They welcome new volunteers to help in a variety of ways.
The Alumnae Initiative for Women (AI4W) has recently launched and is seeking members who share an interest in amplifying the voices of women at St. Mike’s. The AI4W is an alumni affinity group whose mission is to enrich the experience of all St. Mike’s women through advocacy, leadership, and philanthropy.
You can also contribute to our community by submitting a nomination for University Honours. Learn more here.
We are making changes to our administrative process related to Student Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries, and will be seeking alumni to take part on ad-hoc committees to help with adjudication.
Alumni Reunion is approaching quickly, beginning on Wednesday May 31st with the USMC Alumni Association annual meeting, followed by a full program through the weekend. For your comfort, the Dodig Family COOP will be set up as a ‘touchdown’ space on Friday June 2nd through to Sunday June 4th. Consider it your home away from home, connect casually with each other, and leave a note on the bulletin board. Details about Reunion will be posted on our website within the next couple of weeks.
For information about anything I mention above, get in touch with us at smc.alumniaffairs@utoronto.ca.
Thank you for continuing to invest in our vibrant community at St. Mike’s.