Volunteer Spotlight: The Alumni Leaders Conference is for You

Have you registered yet for the RUAA’s Third Annual Alumni Leaders Conference, taking place October 14-15 as part of Homecoming Weekend in New Brunswick? The conference is a unique opportunity to network with and learn from alumni volunteers who share your zeal for Rutgers. Read more below about two dedicated RUAA volunteers—and sign up today to meet more volunteers like them at the Leaders Conference this fall!

Spirit in the South

When John Hiel RC’88 moved to North Carolina in 2007, he was surprised that there was not an alumni club in the Raleigh-Durham area, despite there being more than 2,000 alumni living in the region. With a few quick phone calls to the RUAA and other interested alumni in the area, a first meeting was set. The Rutgers Club of Raleigh-Durham formally launched (and chartered with the RUAA) in August 2008.

They’ve been busy ever since. The club hosted the official pregame tailgate party for the September 10 Rutgers football game at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. “Living outside of New Jersey, it is great to have a community of other Rutgers fans to get together to watch games with,” Hiel says. In addition to sporting events, the club continues to volunteer in their local community, host social events, and participate in Rutgers-wide events.

One of the things Hiel enjoys most about volunteering is meeting others who are passionate about Rutgers. “No matter when you graduated or what you are doing now, when you meet another Rutgers grad there is an instant connection,” he says. “The pride is there for all to see.”

Pictured above: John Hiel (center) is president of the Rutgers Club of Raleigh-Durham, which collected food during game-watch events last year for donation to a North Carolina charity. Photo courtesy of the Rutgers Club of Raleigh-Durham.

A Tradition of Service

A passion for the internationally acclaimed Rutgers Queens Guard is what led Joseph Carlani RC’84 to create, in 2005, The Queens Guard Alumni Association (QGAA), which has been a chartered organization of the RUAA since January 2009. To foster the preservation of its rich heritage among many other initiatives, Carlani proceeded with the digital archiving of the guard’s textual, photographic, and film history, as well as the launch of the QGAA's website in 2006. The guard’s digital history will be documented in the university’s archives so “our unique tradition remains forever appreciated and enjoyed within the university community,” Carlani says.

The QGAA also volunteers with the Rutgers Veteran-Mentor Program, offering guidance and support to student-veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. “As many of our alumni are military veterans, they’re enthusiastic to support this subset of the student population, and empathize with many of the issues unique to their shared experiences,” Carlani notes.

Carlani encourages alumni volunteers to remain tenacious, keep an open mind, and enjoy themselves. “If you view the cause passionately for which you volunteered, then time always seems to appear on the margins of your life to invest more energy and creativity towards its success,” he says.

Pictured above: QGAA president Joseph Carlani (front) and supporting officers upon the association’s formation in 2005. Photo courtesy of The Queens Guard Alumni Association.

► Register today for the RUAA’s Third Annual Alumni Leaders Conference. Questions? Contact the Volunteer Engagement office at volunteer@winants.rutgers.edu or 848-932-1961.