the Magazine, Volume 2 Issue 2 - The College of Coastal Georgia

on Saturday morning. Trethewey will be readingexcerpts and discussing her latest collectionof poems, Thrall.Trethewey’s memoir, Beyond Katrina: AMeditation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, wasselected as the common read for twoliving-learning communities on campus:the African-American Male Initiative andthe Women Engaged in Leadership andLearning (WELL) programs. These studentsparticipated in a summer pre-College programin which they read the book and will have the opportunity,in an alternative spring break trip to the Gulf coast, tofurther explore the book’s themes.For the Festival, over 200 volunteers will beneeded, doing everything from introducingauthors to handing out programs toparticipants. “I hope our students willnot only attend, but will also becomeinvolved through one of the manyvolunteering opportunities. This extracurricularopportunity is part and parcelof the College learning experience – a dayto engage your mind and your soul in richdiversity,” Dr. Hepburn summarized.A schedule of events and a list of the participating authorsand the books they’ll be discussing are posted online atwww.GoldenIslesLiteraryFestival.com. uThe Young AlumniAlumni associations are what you jointo keep in touch after you graduate,right?“Not so!” says Jessica Dickson, AlumniDirector for the College of Coastal Georgia.“A student alumni association is a great wayto network and build lasting relationshipsright now.”Health Informatics major Akia Banks’13 agrees. The Brunswick resident andGlynn Academy graduate attended thefirst career networking luncheon lastyear as a junior, where students met withgraduates to get ideas about their future,and she ended up volunteering for thethird annual Phonathon to alumni andfriends of the College this autumn.While some students might feel shyabout calling alumni, Banks sees thePhonathon as a good opportunity tonetwork. “I get to brag about the school –that’s fun. My call may bring in more moneyto help the school and my classmates. Andyou never know who you are going to getto talk to. It’s more like an adventure thana chore or a bore,” she laughs.Recognizing she would be graduating in a year, she joinedthe student alumni association to gain additional careernetworking. “To get my foot in the doors,” she interjects.“I’m on my own and can move to wherever there would bea good job managing an electronic health records system.This is a way to meet other people outside the area whoknow the school’s standardsand might also know of anopening.”“Any student, including afreshman, should considertaking advantage of the alumniassociation. That wouldgive you more years to buildrelationships,” she adds. “Notonly can I keep in touch, but I’llbe able to help someone elsedown the line by maintainingthese links to the College.”The student alumni associationwill meet throughout theyear, according to Dickson, talkingabout the legacy they wantto leave for future students aswell as working on service projectsto enhance the campus.“The association is a two-waystreet,” Dickson explains. “Thestudents act as ambassadorsfor the campus, and the campusgets them involved in careernetworking.”“It’s a great way to build relationships and memories,”Dickson concludes.“All the events have been fun,” Banks agrees. “But truthfully,I’m more into the big picture. It’s not all about the Collegeexperience – it’s about what I can do with my Collegedegree.” uStudents and alumni participated in theinaugural Alumni Service Day across theGolden Isles on September 8.24 College of Coastal Georgia – the Magazine