Approximately 70 students attended the Academic and Career Advising Office’s job fair preparation workshop on February 2nd. Students were also invited to one-on-one meetings with an alumni volunteer the following week for a resume critique, and 28 students took advantage of that.

Then on February 28, 10 KSC alums volunteered to participate in the Student Center Leadership Development Program’s Second Annual Etiquette Dinner. This group of alums joined 60 current students for an evening of networking, conversation, and sharing.

Students with Sasha Kaylor ’06 (l) and Karen Naharay ’06 (r) at the Etiquette Dinner

Later this spring, recent alums will participate in a “Life after KSC” panel covering such topics as choosing a career path, navigating the transition from school to professional life, deciding about graduate school, and much more.

Our own Melanie Gosselin ’90, executive director of the New Hampshire Food Bank, has just been named to the New Hampshire Business Review’s 2010 list of Outstanding Women in Business. These annual awards “celebrate the success and achievements of women across the state’s diverse business community.” NHBR states that each year, it recognizes “six women who have truly excelled, not only in their professional lives, but as leaders and role models.”

After Melanie took over the New Hampshire Food Bank in 2003, she saw the organization’s food distribution more than double from 2.3 to 5.8 million pounds in 2009. The Food Bank also now supports 411 programs – more than twice as many as it did when she first took the reins. Quite an accomplishment!

Do you know Melanie? Use the “comments” link below to drop us a note.

Are you looking for a career opportunity? Keene State College alumni and students are welcome to attend the annual New Hampshire College and University Council Job Fair, Wednesday, February 17, from 1–6 p.m. at the Center of NH Radisson Hotel (700 Elm Street, Manchester, NH 03101). This is the largest academically sponsored job fair north of Boston.

Alumni Board President Sue Fortier '86 presented Past President David Gagne '73 with a handsome KSC wall clock at the Winter Celebration.

Though Alumni Board Past President Past President David Gagne ‘73 planned to attend the Winter Celebration in the Rhodes Hall atrium on January 30, he was very surprised when current Board President Sue Fortier ‘86 presented him with a handsome KSC wall clock at the gala. With wife Pamela and several alums, including Norma Walker ‘51, Mike ‘72 and Kitty ‘73 Maher, and Steve Fortier ‘86 looking on, David graciously accepted the gift of appreciation.

While David has served the college in many capacities in the past, including as an Alumni Board member and as the Alumni Trustee to the USNH system, he had a tremendous impact as Board president, a position he held for four years. Thank you, David, for your leadership and the vision you have for KSC alumni and students.

Construction on the Alumni Center, just across Main St. from Hale, is almost finished. Alumni from all over the country have pitched in to help raise funds for the project, and we truly appreciate everyone’s support!

The entire Advancement Division (Advancement Services, Alumni & Parent Relations, Development, and Marketing & Communications) are sorting files and packing boxes, getting ready to move into their new offices on March 16th!

For more information about the project or to help support the Alumni “All in” fundraising effort, please visit the Alumni Center page. There you will find architectural renderings, floor plans, and information about the new programs for alumni. We look forward to welcoming you to our new home!

Your membership in the KSC community sure doesn’t end when you graduate, and we’re always looking for ways we can serve our alums. We just finished a Herculean effort (whew!) to update and improve our alumni database, and now we’d like your help. As you know, a database is only as good as the information in it, so please check out our new Update Us! form and make sure the personal and career information we have for you is up to date.

Why personal info? This helps us create programs of interest to you, in your area, and make sure the alumni magazine, Keene State Today, and other information (including Newsline!) reaches you.

Why career info? We are launching a new career network program that should be a great resource for alumni and students. Alums working in related fields, or seeking employment in a particular field, can share information, and students hoping to enter a career can contact alums to learn of job opportunities or internships and receive professional advice.

So keep in touch, and we’ll keep in touch with you!

The heartwarming story of how 100-year-old Harriet Richardson Ames ’31 received her B.Ed. the day before she died was picked up by the Associated Press and quickly spread around the world. The article appeared in major US newspapers, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and hundreds of other outlets nationally and in Canada.

It received extensive national radio and TV coverage, and was cited by CBS News, Minnesota Public Radio, Forbes Magazine online, The Huffington Post, and many other niche blogs.

It also ran in The Guardian (Manchester, UK), the Belfast Telegraph, the New Zealand Herald, and even in India.

If you missed the video of her, watch it here.

A way lot more people know about Keene State today than they did two days ago!

The 1969–70 Women's Basketball Team

Keene State College will be commemorating its 40th year of sponsoring women’s basketball on Saturday, January 23, at Spaulding Gym, when the Owls host the Beacons of UMass-Boston.

If you were a former women’s player or coach, or if you contributed to the program’s growth in any way, KSC extends you a special invitation to attend. Players and coaches will be introduced at halftime of the women’s game and are invited to a post-game social at the Night Owl Café.

Saturday, January 23, 2010
Women: Keene State vs. UMass-Boston, 1 p.m.
(Former players and coaches will be recognized at halftime.
)

Men: Keene State vs. UMass-Boston, 3 p.m.
(Players- and coaches-only reception at halftime.
)

Post-Game Reception from 5–7 p.m. in the Night Owl Café (Young Student Center)

If you plan to attend, please use the online registration form to tell us you’re coming.

If you can’t make it, use the “comment” link below to drop us a note. Heck, drop us a note and share your memories even if you can make it.

More information.

Please check out our new video, featuring alumni, students, and staff. The video’s just over nine minutes long; take a look, then come back here and let us know what you think. Who did you recognize? How does it reflect your KSC experience?

(The link above takes you to the standard high-definition version. If you have a slower connection, or want closed captioning, or both, there are other viewing options available at that site.)

Alum Jon Sharpe ‘98 from United Staging and Rigging will hold a rigging workshop on December 11 at 1 p.m. for students and interested theater and dance alumni. Jon has been with USR for ten years and will share his considerable expertise in this highly technical field.

Interested? Contact Craig Lindsay in the Keene State Theatre and Dance department.