Attention alumni! Looking for a way to give back? OMA&D’s Husky Alumni Recruitment Team (HART) is seeking volunteers to assist with outreach efforts for prospective UW students from underrepresented backgrounds.
By becoming a HART volunteer, alumni have the opportunity to help the UW recruit a diverse student population, as well as provide a service for the larger community by sharing information and resources with students and their families. HART volunteers receive training from the OMA&D Recruitment and Outreach team and represent the department at various college fairs, community events and school visits throughout the state of the Washington.
“Alumni are there to connect with prospective students and parents, share their stories and share what the UW has done for them in terms of their professional development and careers,” OMA&D Pre-College Programs Manager Rudy Mondragón said.
Callet Ioane Moega, ’07, and Dimitri Miles, ’12, both benefited from OMA&D outreach services as high school students and now give back as HART volunteers. They participated in a recent iDub event in Spokane, Wash., which was attended by high school juniors and seniors from underrepresented backgrounds interested in attending the UW.
As a prospective student, Moega participated in OMA&D’s R.I.S.E. (Readiness for Islander Success in Education) program which helped her navigate the college admissions process.
“It was instrumental in my decision to become a Husky and I saw iDub as my opportunity to provide the same helpful insight to prospective students,” Moega said.
Miles agreed that alumni can play a key role in providing a service to prospective students of color, especially those who might not have the support at home.
“There are some students who don’t have help,” he said. “They don’t have family members that went to college. They don’t have a parent that speaks English, they don’t have anybody telling them what a FASA is or to apply for the Gates Millennium Scholarship. Alumni can offer this help in the form of encouragement, guidance and security knowing that somebody has your back and is looking out for you. The alumni of OMA&D know that the department was always there when they needed it and this is an opportunity to give back to students of similar backgrounds.”
According to Mondragón, alumni can also help prospective students see first-hand how they might expect to benefit from a UW education.
“Our alumni are a diverse group in the sense that they come from many different backgrounds and identities,” he said. “In connecting prospective students to alumni they can relate to, they are able to learn more about the many communities that exist at UW that offer support. And it’s important for students to know what possibilities exist for students of color who earn a UW degree.”
Moega added that alumni can help OMA&D build recruitment channels through their own communities and networks.
“Through my professional experience, I have developed great relationships with area schools and organizations,” she said. “It’s my plan to begin utilizing those connections to build a stronger awareness and recruitment base among students of color within my geographical region.”
Alumni volunteers are being sought to participate in upcoming OMA&D yield programs in April. Those interested in getting involved can learn more on the HART web site or contact Mondragón at rodolfom@uw.edu.