Going to school and graduating from Harding establishes connections with people from all over the United States and internationally. The Homecoming football game provides an opportunity for those people to reunite.
The Office of Advancement created GenerationHU to help connect graduates of the last 10 years with one another and with Harding.
According to 2012 Harding graduate Jordan Smith, who works as the young alumni associate for the Harding Fund under the Office of Advancement, the components of GenerationHU are giving, serving and networking.
Members of GenerationHU are invited to come back and speak in classes, encouraged to serve in a nationwide Bisons for Christ day in their areas with other graduates, offered help for finding a new church home if they move and referred for jobs through Harding’s donor list.
With GenerationHU up and running, events have taken place and are being planned for areas that large percentages of Harding graduates live now.
“We try to hit big cities once a year,” Smith said. “Our events take place in Nashville, Little Rock, Dallas, Oklahoma City and in the Bentonville area.”
Each event consists of a dinner, presentation, and update about Harding.
“At these reunions, they can network with each other and ask me about Harding,” Smith said. “It is also an opportunity for them to donate and give their contact information.”
Often the person Smith reaches out to first is the Young Alumni of the Month, who is someone in GenerationHU that has “gone out of their way to help Harding that month.” This person must have donated money and time to Harding, as well.
Harding graduate and August Young Alumna of the Month Tandi Morgan helped put together an event in Dallas in June and said GenerationHU has been very beneficial to her.
“It has made me feel involved in a different kind of way to what is happening at Harding,” Morgan said. “My time at Harding was life-changing for me; it is the reason that I have the job that I have now and through that job, I am able to give back.”
GenerationHU is putting on a Young Alumni tailgate at the Homecoming game tomorrow for all graduates of the last 10 years. It will take place in front of the First Security Stadium and will have food, games, T-shirts and game tickets.
Smith and the Office of Advancement sent out postcards and advertised the event on Facebook to encourage people to attend the event.
“During Homecoming, there have always been tons of things to do but never for young people,” Smith said.
For more info, visit harding.edu/generationhu.
