Archive for the ‘Sutton, Alicia’ Category

by Alicia Sutton ’09, Program Manager

Over the past two weeks, I have received information through the Thunderbird Alumni Network about several T-birds who are engaged with the Haiti relief efforts both in-person and from afar. These stories are evidence of three key facts about Thunderbirds:

1. Our inherent global mindset allows our quick reaction to global events.
2. Other people turn to us when there is a global solution needed.
3. It is important to T-birds to celebrate the victories of others in the Thunderbird Network.

Jochen Gliss ’02 was recently sent to Haiti to assist with rescue efforts. Jochen works for Freeport-McMoran, the global copper conglomerate based in Phoenix and New Orleans.  Freeport-McMoran owns a rare type of highly sensitive equipment that can detect heartbeats in mines.  A team of Freeport personnel was sent in to Haiti and has been working on the ground to support the multinational efforts there.  He appears briefly in this clip from Good Morning America: Amazing Haitian Rescues.
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by Alicia Sutton ‘09, Program Manager

Current students Dustin Lacey ’10 and Paul Berg ’10 recognized a need to engage Thunderbird students in the “network” as quickly as possible.  Knowing the power of a strong Thunderbird community outside of campus, they looked to build as strong a community on campus.

Their community building efforts took shape in February of 2009 as a mentor program called BirdWatch.  New students have the opportunity to be paired with second and third trimester students.  So far, over 130 mentors are connected to 300 new students.  Mentors and mentees are matched by gender and program.
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by Alicia Sutton ‘09, Program Manager

We have a dilemma in the Thunderbird Alumni Relations Office: the Thunderbird Alumni Network is so well-connected and functional that it can almost exist without any connection back to the school.  Why is this a dilemma?  That’s a good question.
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by Alicia Sutton ‘09, Program Manager

The first week of November, T-birds will descend on Macau to celebrate the 2009 Thunderbird Global Reunion. In addition to the great reunion activities, check out some of these other things that Macau has to offer:

• Visit the historic Senado Square and the ruins of St. Paul’s
• Wander down the narrow alleys and off the tourist path. Start at St. Paul’s and head to a nearby courtyard or street to see an older and slower paced Macau. Don’t worry, Macau is so small, you are never far from the hotel.
• Visit the Venetian Hotel & Casino on the Cotai Strip to see the world’s largest casino.
• Visit the basement casino of the Hotel Lisboa to see what gambling in Macau was like before the Adelson and Wynn came to town.
• Head to the Protestant Cemetery - hard to find, but worth the trip.
• Visit the antique furniture shops near St. Paul’s – they will ship items all over the world.

If you would like to register for the Global Reunion, please click here.

by Alicia Sutton ‘09, Program Manager

I am inspired today by some of Thunderbird’s smallest alumni chapters.  Through the work of their dedicated chapter leaders, our small alumni chapters are providing opportunities for T-birds all over the globe to connect to each other and to connect back to the school.

I received an email today from the Cairo chapter.  In an area of the world where there are less than 30 T-birds, chapter leader Sherif Wahdan ‘08 managed to get a group together to discuss politics, business opportunities and shared experiences.

 I was also contacted by a group of alumni in El Salvador that have started meeting for First Tuesday even though they do not have an official alumni chapter.  Look for that chapter to become official very soon.

If you haven’t been out to an alumni chapter event in awhile, you should go.  And take a moment to thank your chapter leader for the work they do to keep the alumni network strong.

by Alicia Sutton ‘09, Program Manager

I hate to use the term “new” when describing media and information platforms. This type of “new” media has been around forever. Think of how quickly a scandalous story can sweep through a small town; or, how everyone knows which professors to avoid when signing up for college courses. This information isn’t listed in the local paper or printed in an academic bulletin. It just gets around.

And not all information that spreads virally is bad. How do you find out when a friend needs some assistance? Of if there is job coming available that you might be interested in?

As someone who is reading this text on a blog or some other form of social media that spreads information out into the electronic world, you are aware that information is dynamic. There are new avenues to share stories/recommendations/opportunities with one another. You still talk to your friends and coworkers, but you might also read their Tweets or Status Updates. In fact, just the other day my colleague Tweeted about a new employee in his department. As soon as I read the Tweet, I headed over to introduce myself to the new hire.

Thunderbirds are ideal users of this “new” media. You come to school, have opportunities to network and study with other global explorers, and then you graduate and head off on your own path. Now, instead of picking up the phone to find out what your old roommate is up to, you can “friend” him on Facebook or add him as a connection to your LinkedIn profile. Instead of reading a newsletter to find out what Thunderbirds in your area are doing, follow your local alumni chapter on Twitter – more and more are joining every day.

The Alumni Relations Office wants you to stay connected to Thunderbird throughout your life. We want to follow the exciting things that you are doing. We also hope that embracing platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook will allow us to keep you up-to-date on T-bird happenings across the globe. Don’t wait, GET CONNECTED!