Before I arrived at UMass Amherst, I knew I wanted to join an organization that incorporated aspects of service, leadership and community building. I mentioned this to my resident assistant before the activities fair, and she told me I had to join this club she was involved with. Now that I have been apart of the club for a few months, I have found that it was exactly what I was looking for coming to UMass.

Student Alumni Association has given me the opportunity to be involved in many activities on campus, whether it be as a leader or a volunteer. In high school, I was involved in many different organizations. I did not realize how important that sense of community was for my well-being until I got to college and felt extremely out of place. The first few months was almost an out-of-body experience because I did not feel like I was old enough to belong on a college campus. Being super involved back home was something I took pride in and it allowed me to develop skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise obtained in a classroom setting. When I leave my house at home, I know someone everywhere I go and with that comes a sense of security, which I can now say was the feeling I was lacking coming to college. Being able to converse with different people and even just see familiar faces is important, and the Student Alumni Association has made a huge difference in my experience at UMass Amherst. Being able to find that sense of belonging and security on such a large campus was something I knew I was not going to find right away, and I am so grateful I took my resident assistant’s advice last semester and joined SAA.

In my first semester here, I was able to volunteer to table for different events and help set up for the Multicolor Mile and fall Student Alumni Networking Night. I had a lot of fun meeting new people and becoming more involved in events. I liked being able to meet all the different students involved in the club at events, and couldn’t believe all of the opportunities that I was able to take advantage of. For example, I sat down with Mr. Jackson Katz this past October. Talking to him about his time at UMass and his work was fascinating and I was thrilled to be able to ask him questions directly, as I met him with only three other students. Later on in the semester, I was able to complete the ambassador training, and am thrilled to become more involved in alumni-based events this semester. Through SAA, I have been able to develop a new community here at UMass, which has made it feel more like home.

This semester I was able to participate in I Love UMass Day, which allowed me to interact with other students that I may not have otherwise had a conversation with. I also learned a lot about the institution and its history. Just last month I attended CASE ASAP, which was a phenomenal experience. I was able to connect with other students in the club on a more personal level and got to learn a lot about other Student Alumni groups from different universities in New England. I was not expecting the conference to be as much fun as it was, and I was able to come back with many new ideas for our SAA group here at UMass.

I am looking forward to events coming up this semester like Commencement Ball and also to the coming three years. I was recently elected the Vice President of the Training and Development Branch for the 2019-2020 school year. I cannot wait to take on this role and be able to help others become a part of this community while partaking in fun events and developing their professional skills. I have a lot to learn, but am so excited to do so.

Thank you SAA, for making UMass feel more like home for me and so many others!

McKenna Meagher ‘22

Hey everyone! My name is Jamie Downer and I have been writing the blog for SAA for a while now. I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read our blog! Your support is invaluable to our organization. For this week’s blog topic, I wanted to share a little bit about myself as well as how SAA has impacted me directly. I hope that this blog will shine a light on all that SAA has to offer all of its members and encourage those of you unsure of joining to take the plunge.

I’ll start things off with a few facts about myself. I am a senior biology student at here at UMass Amherst, and I hope to one day become a high school science teacher. I am a Residential Assistant in a first year hall, and a passionate member of the SAA.

Like many incoming students, I had a tough start to my college career. I decided that I really needed to find an organization or club that would allow me to have a sense of belonging. On such a big campus, I didn’t really know how to start. I began to reach out to friends and mentors for advice on how to get started. Over and over again, the Student Alumni Association was mentioned and I decided to go to the first general body meeting of the year. I had some friends in the organization so what was there to lose?

From the minute I entered Memorial Hall, I knew my decision was a good one. The energy was high, everyone was so friendly and welcoming, and overall I felt like I had found a home. After being a general body member for the first semester of my Junior year, I decided to run for the position of Publications Coordinator and won! Since then I have been maintaining this blog, creating content for our social media platforms, and participating in amazing leadership and development opportunities. Now as a Senior, I am serving as the Vice President of the Public Relations and Communication branch and loving every minute!

For me, SAA has been a key part of my college experience. I have had fun, grown as both a person and a leader, and helped to make UMass the best it can be for it’s students and alumni. I have made friendships, connections, and memories that will last a lifetime.

SAA was the key for a happy ending to my story. If you want to start writing your SAA story, join our organization. It truly is never too late to start!

Jamie Downer ’19