OHIO ready to stand up and cheer for the Class of 2020 during first-ever virtual Senior Week

Ohio University’s Class of 2020 will be defined by its individual and collective achievements, remembered for its extraordinary resilience, and celebrated for its legacy. That celebration starts Monday, April 20, when the OHIO community comes together to stand up and cheer for this distinguished group of Bobcats during a first-of-its-kind Senior Week.

Ohio University’s first-ever virtual Senior Week runs Monday, April 20, through Friday, April 24. An Ohio University tradition held during the last week of classes, Senior Week is an opportunity for graduating seniors to reflect on their days as students, to relish in all they have achieved, and to prepare for the next chapter in their lives and their OHIO journey.

Typically a mix of on-campus events and social media campaigns, the Spring 2020 Senior Week will be held entirely online, providing graduating seniors and their fellow Bobcats a chance to celebrate and engage while adhering to social distancing mandates in place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Senior Week is one of those milestones that is so important as Bobcats prepare for the end of their time as Ohio University students,” said Bri Agner, graduate assistant of early engagement for the Ohio University Alumni Association, which co-host Senior Week in partnership with the Student Alumni Board. “And, although we can’t celebrate in the ways we have in the past, we remain committed to honoring our soon-to-be graduates, to providing them ways to bask in OHIO nostalgia, and to partnering with them as they look ahead.”

All Senior Week activities will take place on the Alumni Association’s special Senior Week 2020 webpage as well Ohio University’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts, using #OHIOSeniorWeek20.

The Senior Week 2020 webpage includes:

• An opportunity for seniors to update their contact information and receive a free OHIO Alumni window sticker (now through the end of April).
• Information on all of the benefits provided free of charge to Ohio University graduates.
• Links to the many career support resources available to OHIO alumni, including workshops and services provided by the Career and Leadership Development Center.
• Ways to stay connected to Ohio University and engage with OHIO graduates, including through the Bobcat Mentorship Network, alumni networks throughout the United States, and the Ohio University Alumni Association’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

“Senior Week is really the first step in staying connected to the Ohio University community after graduation,” said Jacob Batson, BSCE ’21, president of the Student Alumni Board. “We want all of our graduating seniors to know how committed their alma mater and their fellow graduates are to their success in the days, weeks and months to come. I’ve had multiple interactions with alumni mentors over the past years, and just hearing their perspectives on things and knowing that they care about the students today has been really encouraging, especially during times like these.”

The Senior Week 2020 social media campaign will include:

• A chance to win one of several diploma frames or a gift basket full of Bobcat swag and to be featured on the Senior Week webpage. From April 20-24, every senior who posts a photo of themselves in their best Bobcat gear on social media, using #OHIOSeniorWeek20, will be entered into the drawing.
• An opportunity to relive your days in Ohio University’s dining halls. The Alumni Association has teamed up with Culinary Services to provide seniors recipes for some of their favorite dining hall food. Bring a taste of Athens to your home and your virtual Bobcat gatherings!

“We know the virtual setting for Senior Week isn’t ideal. It would be great if we could all give each other big hugs and celebrate in person and on campus,” said Batson. “But, in true Bobcat spirit, we will celebrate our graduating seniors, their accomplishments and the impact they have had on our community in the ways we can right now. I encourage members of our senior class to take this time to relish in their journeys, to look ahead to the time when we can and will celebrate in a very historic way, and to think about what their legacy at Ohio University will be in the future.”

All members of the OHIO community are encouraged to participate in Senior Week 2020 and to congratulate the Class of 2020 and welcome them into the family of Ohio University alumni. Share your well-wishes, advice and Bobcat spirit on social media, using #OHIOSeniorWeek20.

Looking for a gift for a soon-to-be OHIO graduate? Celebrate the Class of 2020 the OHIO way – with one-of-a-kind gifts from The Bobcat Store, the official online store of the Ohio University Alumni Association!