Clinton School student Derrick Rainey has helped coordinate an outreach initiative for alumni of a program dedicated to serving academically talented African American high school students in Central Arkansas.
In collaboration with Arkansas Commitment executive director Jason Hamilton, Rainey assisted the organization’s efforts to connect with more than 300 program graduates located around the world. Rainey coordinated alumni events purposed to re-engage alumni in the “AC experience,” and acquired up-to-date alumni contact information and alumni feedback through surveying.
Additionally, he established an alumni working group to address program improvement, growth and the creation of an alumni advisory board of directors. The project has resulted in increased awareness and alumni engagement, valuable feedback for program evaluation, progress toward planning an Inaugural Alumni Symposium and a standing alumni leadership body.
“We know that the program works,” Hamilton said. “The ultimate goal of Arkansas Commitment is to ensure future diversity in every aspect of the Arkansas community and to retain one of Arkansas’s most valuable resources — its young people. Our alumni are the true testament of the program’s success, and we must give them an opportunity to fulfill their commitment.”
The majority of Rainey’s work entailed fostering relationships and organizing the alumni working group, he said. This group, representing various alumni classes, generated focused efforts to reclaim disconnected colleagues through outreach and planning of the Inaugural Alumni Board of Directors.
As a 2004 alumnus of Arkansas Commitment, Rainey said he understands that his project serves an integral role in the development of Arkansas Commitment’s strategic plan expansion and program evaluation.
“In order to fulfill our commitment to Arkansas, it’s imperative that we engage graduates of the program in its future,” Rainey said. “I hope this project will be just the first step in the continued development of our alumni network.”
Responses