The first event of the Alumni Reunion weekend will take place on Thursday, April 20 from 5-7 p.m. at Shamrocks Pub N Grill.

The Alumni Reunion weekend consists of multiple events throughout the weekend, such as Celebrating Milestones meet and greet at Warner Hall, presidential brunch at the president’s house, Alumni activities at Spellmann Center, and Alumni Reunion Banquet at Spellmann as well.

Director of Alumni Relations at Lindenwood Jennifer Edler who is in charge of hosting this event shared about the upcoming reunion and how this year they are celebrating all of the milestones of Lindenwood Alumni and not just the 50th anniversary as they usually do.

“I think they’re all important to celebrate and hear the different stories and get everybody in one room to share their memories,” Edler said. “It’s really exciting and interesting to see the growth of the university from 1968 through now.”

Three main awards will be handed out during the Reunion: the Alumni Merit Award, the Alumni Community Service Award, and the Young Award. These awards are nominated by classmates, peers, and other members of the community.

On Saturday, there will be a professional photographer who will be taking LinkedIn headshots for alumni. There will be an Alumni Council where people can ask questions about getting more involved with the Alumni Association. There will be various activities, snacks, and cocktails from 6-9 p.m. at Spellmann.

“I feel like if you’re engaged with your university, you’re also engaged with other fellow classmates, which also keeps you connected to them as well, so it becomes a lifelong event,” Edler said. “It’s just really a chance to revisit our beautiful campus, stroll down memory lane, and see the many new exciting changes that have happened since they may have graduated.”

Edler hopes to keep the tradition of reunions going and for future graduates to be involved as well.

“My hope is to start re-engaging this year and make this a priority for our young alum so that we can get the ones that are graduating right now to stay involved and to see the importance of it,” Edler said.

Special Events Coordinator, Advancement and Community Engagement, Sarah Kozy helps plan various events on campus including Alumni engagement events. Kozy helped put together an inviting schedule of events to celebrate alumni milestones, accomplishments, and the yearly award winners.

“Our team works to provide a space for people to celebrate, share their life experiences, stories, and perspectives, which can be enriching and enlightening,” Kozy said.

Reunions reconnect people and the Alumni Relations has two annual events for Alumni which are Reunion in the spring and Homecoming in the fall.

“Reunions provide the perfect opportunity to reconnect and reminisce on your LU days with former classmates,” Kozy said. “College reunions often involve revisiting familiar places on campus, participating in traditions, and reliving memories from their time in college. This can be a nostalgic and meaningful experience for alumni,” Kozy said.

Manager for Special Events Emily Sebourn has helped organize the reunion by working with the vendors to secure all rentals for the event. She shared about the significance and importance of such reunion events for the university’s alumni.

“It is a beautiful celebration on our campus that honors our alumni and their supporters,” Sebourn said. “Sometimes in life we need to reflect to realize how far we have come.”