Record number of alumni connecting with future Bobcats through VAAN programs
This past semester, more than 670 OHIO graduates from 41 states signed up to participate in VAAN’s Postcard Project in which alumni send hand-written postcards to prospective students who have been admitted to Ohio University but have not confirmed their intent to enroll.
A record number of Ohio University graduates are giving of their time and talents to efforts that define the future of their alma mater, helping to recruit the next generation of Bobcats through OHIO’s Volunteer Alumni Admissions Network (VAAN).
Spearheaded by Undergraduate Admissions, VAAN empowers and partners with Bobcat alumni to serve as Ohio University ambassadors and a personal link to prospective students and those who are supporting them through the college selection process.
“OHIO alumni are in a unique position when it comes to our student recruitment efforts,” said Scott Jackson, BSS ’14, Undergraduate Admission’s assistant director for regional engagement and program coordinator for VAAN. “Their experiences as college students and their stories of professional success speak to the impact of an Ohio University education, and their Bobcat spirit shows prospective students what a welcoming, supportive and enthusiastic community we have.”
VAAN membership is open to all degree-holding OHIO graduates who are interested in promoting Ohio University and sharing their Bobcat experiences through several initiatives that cater both to recruitment needs and volunteers’ schedules, talents and interests. Those initiatives include:
- Attending college fairs and receptions in their communities
- Writing postcards to prospective students
- Assisting with special campus visit programs
- Engaging in online chats with prospective students
- Referring outstanding college-bound high school students
This past semester, Undergraduate Admissions partnered with the OHIO Alumni Association on a campaign to recruit graduates for VAAN’s Postcard Project in which alumni send hand-written postcards to prospective students who have been admitted to Ohio University but have not confirmed their intent to enroll. Participants are asked to send 10 postcards (postcards and postage provided) to these students, many of whom are either interested in the same major as the graduate or residing in the same community, congratulating them on being admitted and sharing with them why OHIO is a great place to live, learn and grow.
Trista Thurston, BSJ ’16, signed up to participate in VAAN’s Postcard Project this past spring, channeling her Bobcat sprit and the writing skills she developed at OHIO to communicate with prospective students in the Washington, Pennsylvania area.
The spring 2019 recruitment campaign resulted in more than 670 alumni from 41 states signing up to participate in the Postcard Project, a record for this volunteer effort that in the past has had approximately 250 participants.
“Everybody that I’ve talked to, specific to the Postcard Project, has loved it,” Jackson said, noting that several alumni offered to write more than 10 postcards. “They think it’s a great way to give back, it’s easy and it helps alumni feel connected to their alma mater and really make a difference. There are hundreds of universities around the country that are sending things to these students, but personal notes from alumni are rare, especially at this scale. Something that comes from an actual graduate, that is hand-written – that stands out with prospective students. It shows that our alumni care about students who are coming to this University.”
Trista Thurston, BSJ ’16, signed up for the Postcard Project as a result of the spring recruitment effort. For her, it was an opportunity to use her professional passion and skills she developed at OHIO to give back in a way that was uplifting and practical.
“I remember getting an email for the Postcard Project and thinking that this was exactly what I needed to get involved because I’m a natural storyteller, so it’s easy for me to put pen to paper and talk about how much I love Ohio University and Athens,” said Thurston, digital operations director at The Observer-Reporter, a daily newspaper near Pittsburgh. “The Postcard Project was a fun, meaningful way to connect with potential Bobcats. I would sing the praises of Ohio University to anyone that would listen!”
Thurston wrote to students in the Washington, Pennsylvania area, highlighting the education she received at OHIO and the lifelong impact her days in Athens have had on her life and happiness.
“I adored my time in Athens,” she said. “It’s where I met some of my closest friends, including my fiancé. Something as simple as a personal hand-written note to a local student made me feel connected to my alma mater. It allowed me to reflect on my fabulous experiences.”
As a recent graduate, Thurston noted that she is not currently in a position to give back to Ohio University financially, so she’s thankful that she can do that through the Postcard Project.
“It makes sense that I would want to give back to a place that has given me so much,” she said.
Myron Dianiska, AB ’67, MS ’72, has been a member of VAAN since its very beginning.
Dianiska has only participated in the Postcard Project once, admitting that while he enjoyed it, his handwriting is not his strong suit. Instead, the school psychologist uses his ability to connect with people and his love for talking to people and Ohio University to represent his alma mater at college fairs. Dianiska has spent the past 10 years engaging with prospective students and their parents at approximately six college fairs per year in the Houston, Texas area.
Myron Dianiska, AB ’67, MS ’72, joined VAAN in 2009 and has spent the past 10 years engaging with prospective students and their parents at college fairs in the Houston, Texas area.
In shepherding his own children through the college selection process, Dianiska recalled attending college fairs and thinking about how he might like to be involved in promoting a university. Then, he received an email about OHIO’s new VAAN program.
“The next thing you know, I’ve been doing it since 2009, and I love doing it. It’s one of my favorite things to do all year,” he said.
“As a school psychologist, I like talking to kids, and I have a professional interest in career advisement and career selection,” Dianiska said, noting that if students express interest in an academic program available at OHIO, he encourages them to look at Ohio University and visit the Athens Campus. “I talk about how Athens is one of those places that you go there and you kind of never want to leave, but whenever you do leave, you take some of it with you.”
Participating in VAAN has also allowed Dianiska to engage with fellow OHIO alumni – he typically encounters at least one Bobcat per college fair – and reconnect with Ohio University and the memories he has of his student experience.
“Since I’ve been in VAAN, I’ve felt a much stronger connection to Ohio University and Athens than I’ve ever felt,” he said. “It’s my way of giving back and strangely reconnecting with the University. … I’ve been doing this a long time, and it feels good, and I’ll keep doing it as long as I can.”
For more information on and to sign up for VAAN, click here.
In mid-January, Undergraduate Admissions will be recruiting alumni to participate in the spring semester 2020 Postcard Project, which will run through the end of April. Details about that recruitment effort will be announced on Ohio Today news and via email to those who sign up on the VAAN website.