(Left to right): Marty Mornhinweg, Offensive Coordinator, Philadelphia Eagles; Mike Harris '88, Director of Marketing and Special Programs, Philadelphia Phillies and Traci Green '96, Head Coach of Womens' Tennis at Harvard University, speak to students about careers in athletics at the 2008 Career Day Program.

There are so many ways alumni/ae can get involved in the life of the school. 

Here are just a few ideas:

The Auction.  Each year, Friends Select holds a wonderful auction attended by trustees, alumni/ae, teachers and parents.  It is a big undertaking with plenty of opportunities for participation.   Do you have something to donate?  Can you volunteer your time to solicit items or to work at the event?  Or, are you simply interested in attending, having a good time, and bidding?  You are welcome in any capacity.

Class Reunions.  Organizing a class reunion is as easy as e-mailing a few friends from your class and asking them to reach out to a few more classmates.  Friends Select holds multi-year reunions in Washington, D.C., New York and Boston, where there are significant concentrations of alumni/ae.  We certainly would consider other locations, based on alumni/ae feedback.  Are you willing to organize a class reunion – or perhaps a multi-class reunion?  Or perhaps you’d like to put together an event-filled homecoming weekend that would draw your friends back to Center City.  What would entice you to attend a reunion?  How can we help you re-connect with friends from your Friends Select days? 

Mentoring.  Mentoring relationships benefit both parties immensely.  The mentor has the privilege of sharing his or her expertise and experience; the “mentee” benefits from wise counsel.  Do you have insights to offer or support to give about college choices, career paths, or other topics?  The first step in offering mentoring programs to Friends Select students and young alumni/ae is to have a solid “bank” of mentors.

Admission.  Roger Dillow, the (relatively) new head of Admission, hopes we are all “goodwill ambassadors” for the school, all the time.  Beyond that, Roger would like to tap into alumni/ae enthusiasm for the school by having you make phone calls to prospective students, attend open houses, and speak on panels at admission events.  The time commitment is limited, but the potential impact is significant.  Again, the first step is establishing a “bank” of Admission volunteers for Roger to contact as needed.

Speakers’ Bureau.  What do you do?  What is your specialty?  What expertise might you share with the students?  The extended alumni/ae community is a largely untapped educational resource for current students and other alumni/ae.  Volunteer to be a speaker.  Or, help set up a database of available speakers.

Fundraising.  Chuck Block ’81 is chairing the Alumni Annual Fund Committee, which is working to increase the percentage of alumni/ae who give back to the school.  This year’s giving already is running well ahead of last year’s.  The number of people who have joined the Benefactors’ Society (contributions of more than $1,000 in a given year) already has doubled.  But there is far more work to do.  Join the effort by giving a personally-meaningful contribution.  Help by making fundraising phone calls, identifying potential contributors, or going with Christine Jefferson (director of development) and Rose Hagan (head of school) to solicit potential donors.  No one can make a stronger case for supporting Friends Select than an alumnus or alumna.

For general information about volunteer opportunities, contact Stuart Land, director of alumni/ae programs at 215.561.5900, ext. 106, or at stuart@friends-select.org.