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Dinner connects students, alumni

Yesterday, 10 Bradley students were given the chance to sit down and eat dinner with one of the Hilltop’s distinguished alumni: Reid Hill.

Hill currently serves on the board of the Bradley Alumni Association and is managing director and head of healthcare investment banking for Mizuho Securities in Chicago. The dinner and networking event was organized by campus’ Student Alumni Association.

Hill said he was excited for the opportunity to speak with current Bradley students and compare the Bradley experience today with what Hill knew when he was a student nearly 25 years ago.

“I think it’s important for the alumni to understand the key issues our students are facing today,” Hill said.

Brittney Richardson, assistant director of alumni relations, planned yesterday’s program.

“We hope students find an opportunity to make new friendships, learn more about the university as a whole and really connect with alumni,” Richardson said. “We hope that [students] see that not only are Bradley alumni successful, but also involved and invested in advancement of current and future Bradley students.”

This year, the program randomized the selected students chosen to attend the dinner, rather than selecting only members from one department or one extracurricular activity.

“We want alumni to have a peek at the current makeup of the university,” Richardson said. “And we want students that wouldn’t normally run into each other to come into contact.”

Hill also said he hopes his involvement post-graduation serves as a good example for students.

“I would like to convey to the students the importance of staying engaged with your alma mater post-graduation,” Hill said. “Bradley is a very special place, but it takes an active community of students, administrators, professors and alumni for our university to continue to grow and prosper.”

According to Taylor Dorman, a senior marketing major who helped to plan as well as attended the event, it was an opportunity for students to communicate with other students as well as alumni.

“The main reason this event was created was to network. Not only do students get to meet and interact with other Bradley students that they might not get to meet otherwise, but they also get to meet an alum who is generous enough to host a dinner for us,” Dorman said. “So, I hope that the students, as well as myself, take this opportunity to make new friends and build connections with each other and the Bradley alum.”

This opportunity for Bradley students to come into contact with alumni poses a very important connection between past and present students.

“By students talking to alumni about their current Bradley experiences, it makes the alum feel more connected to Bradley and their time here even if it was many years ago,” Dorman said. “Students and alumni can talk about similar memories they have both experienced on the Hilltop, as well as enlightening them on all the changes that have been made.”

According to Richardson, yesterday’s Dinner with 10 Braves event serves as a “launch” for future dinners with alumni. Beginning next academic year, Bradley’s Alumni Association plans to host multiple dinners with alumni both semesters, open to all students.

“No matter what year you are, you’re headed towards being a Bradley alum,” Richardson said.

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