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‘This place has quickly captured my heart’

Anne-Marie E. Connors, executive director of the Alumni Association reflects on her first year 

As I round just over a year serving the CSU Alumni Association as executive director, I continue to be amazed with the passion and level of commitment our alumni have for the university and our students. It is infectious!  

While I am not a graduate of Cleveland State, I am a native Clevelander and I take so much pride in knowing the daily impact the university, its success, its students and its alumni have on our hometown and our region… and beyond! I have wholeheartedly embraced Magnus as MY mascot, and I get emotional when our Vikings are successful in a sporting event. I beam with pride when I see our students achieve milestones and overcome adversity, and my tears well up at the commencement ceremonies knowing we are releasing a whole new talented workforce into the world to make a difference. This place has quickly captured my heart and I am all the better for it!   

I share this in hopes that you, too, will be inspired by the growth and progress of the university as shared in this issue of the magazine. Our own Alumni Affairs team has grown. In December we welcomed two new talented staff members: Matthew Knickman, director, alumni relations and corporate engagement and Jennifer Creviston, director of the CSU Alumni Association.  

Upon their arrival, we — along with the CSUAA Board of Directors — were able to bring back some of our favorite alumni events: CSU2U 2.0 in The Villages and Naples, Florida; our alumni reception in Phoenix, Arizona; alumni nights at CSU basketball games and the Grad Party celebrating the Class of 2022.

We’ve accomplished this by partnering with various offices around campus, including the Office of Career Development & Exploration, and the Office of Student Engagement and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Not to mention, we’ve “adopted” the new CSU Police Department therapy dogs, Thor and Rune, as our office colleagues. 

I invite you to join us as a member of the Alumni Association by submitting your contact information to us (see the QR code to sign up!) to stay in touch and get up to the minute information on our events, travel schedule and alumni perks.  And if you’re just curious about what all the excitement is about, come visit us on campus, or volunteer with us, or consider hiring student interns in your company. You won’t be disappointed!  We have emerged from the pandemic stronger, more focused on CSU 2.0 and working closely with the leadership of our dynamic new president, Laura Bloomberg.   

Come join the excitement and get involved with the CSU Alumni Association and Cleveland State! You won’t regret it. You are always a #Vike4Life.  

 

Also in this issue

HOME – Summer 2023

Chiefs of the Cabinet In Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb's cabinet, a quarter of his chiefs are CSU alumni, shaping policy and plotting the city's upward trajectory. Reframing rape and sexual assault Rachel Lovell, Ph.D., assistant professor of criminology at Cleveland...

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HOME – Summer 2022

Summer 2022 (Scroll down to begin, or...) The winding and unexpected roads that led six alumni to their success in the arts.

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