by Krista Pino
Daily Lobo
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The Alumni Relations Office and Alumni Association do more than serve UNM graduates.
Karen Abraham, director of the relations office and executive director of the association, said they are all about making connections through UNM and keeping them.
The association offers mentoring programs for undergraduate students and many community programs to keep 120,000 alumni connected to the University, Abraham said.
The relations office is a nonprofit association made up of volunteers and a board of directors that meet three times a year. There are eighteen chapters throughout the country.
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Abraham said the association is the lifeline of the University community starting with recruitment, spreading to student programs, and continuing to connect with students after graduation.
"The University is about educating people so they have a broader range of knowledge that will help them have a better life and a better world," she said.
Last year the Alumni Association participated in 242 programs including recruitment, Lobo Orientation and Welcome Back Days.
Other programs the association offers include a travel program that allows graduates to take tours throughout the year. It also has an insurance program for other alumni.
Every graduate from UNM is automatically considered part of the alumni group, Abraham said. One of the departments at the office keeps information on graduates to keep in touch, she said.
There are also about 265 weddings performed per year at the Alumni Chapel for alumni, students or children of UNM employees.
"The alumni represents the University," Abraham said. "They have a perspective of the past and its traditions to what the future is."
The association is divided into two groups: the Trailblazers and the Student Lettermen. Abraham said they look for any opportunity to create a community environment of students while they're on campus, and when they graduate, ways to find jobs through a network of alumni.
Scholarships are also available to students through the association for fifth-year students through the letterman group.
Abraham said other scholarships are offered through donors and are awarded according to the donor's criteria.
Since alumni members are about keeping connections, Abraham said there are several ways graduates can do that.
The relations office has a Web site, the Mirage magazine and a newsletter.
Mary Conrad, magazine founder, is responsible for its publishing. The magazine comes out three times a year.
She said people turn first to the classmates section.
The section features stories about graduates and what they are doing now.
Conrad said Mirage usually has an athletic profile and a development story, a way of keeping other alumni in touch with the UNM community.
The association puts up two-thirds of the magazine's cost and the University covers the remainder.
Conrad said since the alumni does not charge dues, every photos, story or art featured in the magazine is donated or volunteered.
"It's not bad considering it's the only contact people have to the University," she said.
