Young Alumni Council Gives Back to Future Alum

Amanda Drath and her 17-year old daughter were shocked in December when members of the California State University, Bakersfield Young Alumni Committee presented them with a roomful of Christmas gifts – paid for by CSUB grads.

“I was shocked,” said Drath, who is finishing up a Special Education teaching credential at CSUB. As a single mother with a disability, Drath said that the gifts were a true blessing. “This could not have come at a better time.”

Working with about $800 in donations, the Young Alumni Council had fun purchasing everything from clothing to cleaning supplies to kitty toys. “We had a great time shopping and were so excited to shower Amanda and her daughter with a little love.  This was the first year of our Community Outreach Program, Love-On Future Alum,” said Amy Ott, Committee Chair of Community Outreach.

Elena Avina, the president of the Young Alumni Council, said that the group decided last winter that it wanted to give back in some way to the future alumni. “We wanted to find a current student who was truly in financial need,” Avina said. “When we found out that Amanda was spending her Christmas gift money to buy contact lenses for her daughter, we decided she would be a great one to help.”

The Young Alumni Council was established just a year ago and is under the umbrella of the CSUB Alumni Association. Last year the Young Alums held a networking mixer at Lengthwise Brewery owned and operated by CSUB alums Jeff Williams ‘91 and Darin Schwicker ’92. The group also held a mixer at the Padre, in which members voted on their favorite “Runner ‘Tini.”  Currently, the committee is working on its next networking mixer, tentatively scheduled for the end of March.

If you are a CSUB alum, own a business and would be willing to host an upcoming event, please contact Alumni Director Shannon Hill at shill5@csub.edu. If you are a graduate of CSUB and want to become involved in the Young Alumni Council, you can also contact Hill or go on line to http://www.csub.edu/alumni/join/youngalumni.shtml for more information.

Past event photos, click here!

Meet your governing Council, click here!

Interested in being apart of the Young Alumni Council?!
Email the Alumni Office with your contact information.
alumni@csub.edu

Know an Alum owned business in town or want to host a YA Networking Mixer?
Let us know!
alumni@csub.edu