Alumni Resources: We Want You to Be a Laker for a Lifetime!
As a graduate of our programs in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, we truly want you to be a Laker for a lifetime. We need your expertise and your guidance to continue to build programs that are cutting edge and which meet the needs of employers and our larger community. We need your vision. There is no better way to be a change agent than right here in your department.
The opportunities listed here are just some of the ways you can get and stay involved here at GVSU. Have an idea of your own?
Talk with us! We always love to hear from our students and alumni.
Be a Laker for a Lifetime!
As a Grand Valley graduate you are automatically a member of the Alumni Association and are eligible for the Laker Lifetime Learning Award which provides you with $1,000 to use for any future classes at GVSU.
Consider becoming a mentor to current students, sharing your story, and helping to shape the future of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies
WAYS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
SHARE YOUR STORY
Many of our students wonder what they can do with their degrees after graduation. You have the answer! Even a short description about what you are doing now and your reflection on what most benefitted you as an undergraduate in the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies may be just the key to supporting a student who is currently pursuing their degree.
Willing to share your story? Please let us know. We'll respond with a short survey that you can submit via email and a request for a photo.
ATTEND AN ALUMNI EVENT
The School of Interdisciplinary Studies hosts annual Alumni Events, typically as part of Grand Valley's Homecoming Celebrations. Alumni are invited to visit classes throughout the day as well as participate in an alumni panel for current and prospective students. Dates for the annual Alumni Event will be announced on the department's homepage. Willing to participate in a panel? Or want to visit one or more of our current classes? Just get in touch to let us know. We look forward to welcoming you back!
BE A MENTOR
We are always looking for alumni who would be willing to serve as mentors to current students enrolled in our programs. These can be short- (one time meeting) or more long-term (one semester to a full year or more) opportunities. Willing to mentor a current student? Please get in touch to let us know.
Alumni Mentor Programs for Brooks College programs are currently offered through three locations:
- Graduates of the Accelerated Leadership Program or LEADS (Lifelong Educational Attainment for Diverse Students) should contact Kate VanderKolk in the Center for Adult and Continuing Studies.
- Graduates of other majors (Environmental & Sustainability Studies, Global Studies & Social Impact, Integrative/Liberal Studies, Leadership & Business Fundamentals, Professional Innovation, Religious Studies, or Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies), minors, and certificate programs in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies should contact Jennifer Jameslyn in the Brooks College Advising Center.
- Graduates of our Traverse City campus programs should contact Jackie Abeyta in the Center for Adult and Continuing Studies, Traverse City Campus.
CONSIDER A FINANCIAL GIFT TO HELP A STUDENT
Many of our students are economically precarious. Your financial gift, no matter how small or large, can make a direct difference in the life of a student.
In addition to a range of current and potential giving opportunities through GVSU, there are several funds that directly benefit students enrolled in one of our programs:
The Stephen C. Rowe Student Summer Scholars Fellowship supports students doing research in Philosophy, Integrative Studies, or Religious Studies.
There are also several existing funds established that help to support student in areas of greatest need or to support opportunities such as Study Abroad that may be financially out of reach to our students without this support. Those include:
- Brooks College Special Projects (providing support to students and programs in Brooks College, in areas of greatest need)
- Brooks College Study Away Scholarship (to assist student participants in study-away programs that are run by Brooks College or a Brooks College program)
- Interdisciplinary Studies General Fund (supports the students and programs of Brooks College)