APPLYING TO THE YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL?
READ THIS FIRST!
Thinking about joining the Young Alumni Council (YAC)? We would love to have you join us. We are a fun group of recent alumni who enjoy sharing our SAS experience and are willing to go the distance to help SAS/ISE be the best they can be.
*Please note that in order to be eligible to apply, you must have graduated from university.* Not yet graduated? No worries; look at becoming a Global Ambassador at your home university. This is a great way to be involved on campus and looks fantastic on your YAC application.
It is important for us to outline what is expected of each new YAC member upon joining the council because it will require some of your time! But, trust us, it’s worth it. You’ll get to communicate with students who are about to set sail on their voyage of a lifetime, be in the know about all that is going on at ISE, have opportunities to meet as a council in person, and you’ll get to know some other amazing SAS alumni!
WHAT IS THE YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL?
We are a cohort (20-25 members) of recent alumni who are a part of the larger Alumni Association Board of Directors (AABOD) and Alumni Association Councils. The principal purpose of the AABOD is to strengthen the bond between alumni and the Institute for Shipboard Education in supporting the mission of Semester at Sea. This includes support of increased enrollments, increased philanthropic giving, and increased engagement at alumni events.
The Young Alumni Council is one of seven councils that make up the Alumni Association. We like to think we bring a little extra “oomph” and passion since we ourselves have just recently sailed as students!
SO, WHAT DO WE DO?
In 2016, the Young Alumni Council launched a program called “Operation Shellback” that is almost like “customer support” for SAS. More specifically, it is communication between YAC members and students who have registered for the next upcoming voyage. Each YAC member is assigned ~20 students that he/she reaches out to before, during and after the voyage. This communication helps answer students’ questions as they are packing and preparing for their voyage, during the voyage as they may be seeking advice, and after as they are looking to stay involved with SAS and keep the voyage alive! The larger goals are to prepare students for voyages, reduce dropout rates, strengthen relationships between SASers and ISE, establish alumni engagement, and foster a sense of philanthropy. The council also supports ISE/SAS through personal giving by suggesting each member to donate $100 a year, however there are other non-monetary ways to give that can be worked out on a person-by-person basis), attending chapter events in our cities, and helping ISE in other ways that they may need.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
As a member of YAC, you must commit to being an active participant of the Council, which includes:
- Participating in our quarterly conference calls (must attend at least three of four calls per term year)
- Donating to ISE
- The Young Alumni Council asks its members to donate $100 annually. These donations fund a special scholarship created by the council.
- Completing your Operation Shellback responsibilities:
- Email/Text students before, during, and after the voyage
- Tracking your responses (so we can report engagement and our
successes!)
There are also opportunities to travel and meet as a group in person, and with the larger collection of alumni councils. You can also head up a “task force” on the council – which could include anything from spreading the news about upcoming chapter events, heading up the training sessions for new council members, sorting student information for operation shellback as part of the “algorithm team,” or even suggest an initiative that you can head yourself.
As members of the Young Alumni Council, we get to share our own experiences and love for SAS with students who about to go themselves! The joy is in the comradery between us, recent alumni, and the students who are future alumni. If this description gets you excited, please apply! We love adding new energy to the group and can’t wait to hear your stories.
We look forward to reading through your application! Applications are collected on a rotating basis, and are reviewed and approved quarterly. Most new members are evaluated and approved in May at the end of our term year.
Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions!
All the best,