Kenyon Alumni Volunteer Bulletin

If you've been putting off making your year-end gift to the Kenyon Fund, congratulations – your procrastination just paid off! Keep watching your mailbox and following @KenyonAlumni on Instagram for exciting news about our "Kenyon Every Step of the Way" campaign during the month of June. (Let's just say it involves some pretty fantastic purple socks you'll definitely want to add to your collection.)

As volunteers, you've seen firsthand how Kenyon Fund dollars make a real difference – supporting everything from student research opportunities to support services that enhance the Kenyon experience. Your dual commitment of time AND treasure truly amplifies your impact on current students and the College we all love.

Alumni Council: Alumni Council convened its annual spring meeting on Friday, May 24, during Reunion Weekend. The day began with an update from Ubong Asuquo ’23, who shared efforts to increase awareness of Alumni Council among graduating seniors. Ubong returned to Gambier the week prior to participate in Commencement, where she assisted with the hooding of legacy students and distributed lapel pins to the graduating class.

Following Ubong’s update, Council conducted its annual elections, voting on new members and a new vice president. Confirmation of these appointments will take place over the summer and newly elected members will be onboarded ahead of their first meeting this fall during Homecoming Weekend.

Alumni Council then joined the Kenyon Fund Executive Committee (KFEC) for a joint session featuring updates from Maraleen Shields ’00, who serves as an alumni trustee. Maraleen shared highlights from the Board of Trustees’ April meeting. The group also heard from Max Leisten, founder and CEO of Protopia, who introduced Just Ask — a new, AI-powered platform recently launched at Kenyon. This closed network enables students and alumni to connect for career guidance and general advice.

In the afternoon, Council and KFEC were joined by President Julie Kornfeld, senior staff and members of the Advancement team for a campus update. Council then entered executive session to conclude their formal meeting.
Later that day, Council hosted a well-attended faculty reception and conducted the annual meeting of all alumni, as required by the Alumni Council constitution.

In addition to the formal agenda, Council partnered with Professor Royal Rhodes and the Generosity Project to host Books for Books, an initiative that collected donated books from faculty in exchange for contributions to the Library Book Fund. This fund supports students who may not have the means to purchase required course materials. Thanks to the efforts of Council members Alison Black ’91 and Darnell Heywood ’94 P’27, the initiative raised $1,151. Council also gathered 77 handwritten notes from alumni to be distributed to members of the incoming first-year class this fall.

The spring meeting served as a valuable opportunity to celebrate alumni engagement, advance Council's initiative and deepen connections across the Kenyon community.

Kenyon Fund Executive Committee: The Kenyon Fund Executive Committee met on campus during Reunion Weekend to celebrate strong year-end fundraising progress and discuss strategic annual fund initiatives for the coming year — providing valuable feedback for future fundraising efforts. Highlights included recognition of outgoing committee members, updates on the 25th Reunion program and a presentation from Kenyon's new Digital Engagement Specialist Sydney Orrison. At lunchtime, President Kornfeld and trustee Maraleen Shields ’00 joined the group, which included the Alumni Council, for discussions about College priorities and external challenges. Members of KFEC also took over hosting duties at the Alumni Leadership Breakfast and the Abraham Society mixer, both on Saturday. 

Kudos to our reunion committees on their successful Reunion Weekend! Up next, all class agents and reunion committees are encouraged to attend our final Volunteer Lunch Chat on Monday, June 9 at noon ET. We will be enjoying a Kenyon trivia contest and sharing our plans for fiscal year-end outreach. (Spoiler alert: the plan includes the above-mentioned, limited-edition purple socks!)

On Saturday, May 31, the Kenyon in Raleigh/Durham Regional Association hosted a lively outing to a Durham Bulls baseball game, bringing together local alumni for an evening of connection and community. (See photo below.) The event was a great success, thanks in part to the efforts of Jonathan Hernández ’21, who helped coordinate the gathering. Attendees enjoyed good company, classic ballpark fare and the excitement of minor league baseball in the heart of Durham. If you’re inspired by this event, consider organizing a gathering in your own city — regional association volunteers play a key role in keeping the Kenyon spirit strong across the country. Reach out to Associate Director of Alumni & Parent Engagement Emily Shackle (shackle1@kenyon.edu) with questions.