Challenges in Young Alumni Engagement: What We Can Learn From Alumni

This conversation explores research examining how young alumni engage—or choose not to engage—with their alma mater during the first decade after graduation. Drawing on qualitative interviews with recent graduates from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), the research highlights the experiences, perceptions, and barriers that influence alumni participation.

Topics may include:

• Why young alumni often feel disconnected from their alma mater after graduation

• Barriers that affect engagement, including time constraints, career stage, geography, and financial realities

• How awareness of engagement opportunities shapes participation in events, volunteering, and philanthropy

• What advancement professionals can learn from alumni voices when designing engagement opportunities

In this session, we catch up with Dr. Amanda Shoemaker, Director of Advancement Operations at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois.

Amanda’s doctoral dissertation examined the engagement experiences of young alumni during the first decade after graduation. In this session, she will reflect on the study’s findings and discuss how alumni professionals might interpret these insights when thinking about alumni engagement strategies.

Save your spot today!

P.S. If you can’t make it live, we’ll share the recording.