Seniors gathered in Snyder Center on May 2 for a celebratory dinner with Alumni Council members, Trustees, and Head of School Raynard Kington.
In two weeks time, after the end of Spring finals week, Seniors will have completed the last of their Andover academic assignments. With graduation looming in the coming weeks, Seniors gathered in Snyder with alumni, trustees, and the Head of School to celebrate their years as Andover students earlier this May. Mistina Muscatel-Davis ’01, Alumni Council president, spoke to the Class of 2024 on the timelessness of the Andover experience, anticipating their upcoming instatement into the alumni community.
Serving as an opportunity for students to connect with other members of the community, the Senior Dinner is an annual tradition hosted by the Office of Alumni Engagement. Naomi Mashburn ’08, Assistant Director of Class-Based engagement, elaborated on the details surrounding the organization of the event,highlighting the invited parties.
“Each year we excitedly invite alumni who are on campus, including trustees, alumni council members, alumni faculty and alumni staff, as well as local alumni to join us for this event. This is often a sought-after event for local alums and a highlight for trustees and alumni council on campus for meetings throughout the weekend,” wrote Mashburn in an email to The Phillipian.
Mashburn emphasized the significance of guiding seniors through their last weeks at Andover. She pointed out how becoming an alum after attending Andover can seem intimidating, noting how events like the Senior Dinner aided in the transition to life beyond being a student.
“This event offers an opportunity to welcome the senior class into the alumni family. In a matter of days, the senior class will disperse across the globe following Commencement, and the Alumni Office sees this as an incredible moment to introduce the soon-to-be graduates to the network of alumni they will soon join,” wrote Mashburn.
Keynote speaker Muscatel-Davis brought attention to the enduring significance of Andover beyond graduation. Reflecting upon her own experience, Muscatel-Davis encouraged the Class of 2024 to take advantage of the alumni community as soon as they enter college.
“Hopefully, the Class of 2024 takes to heart and realizes that no matter how big or small it may impact them post-graduation, Andover is for life. And if it means that we can get them involved as alumni earlier in their journey, that’s a total win! Some of my favorite years of being an alum were during college and my early 20’s and having that Andover Big Blue bond reignited at local alumni events,” wrote Muscatel-Davis in an email to The Phillipian.
Clementine Lubin ’24 expressed excitement about new opportunities to connect with Andover after graduation. She mentioned how she found the overall discussion to be a helpful tool to seniors who wanted to learn more about the lasting impact of the Andover experience.
“I really enjoyed hearing the advice of the alumni. I thought it was really inspiring to hear them reflect on how their Andover experience has influenced their life and beyond, and the importance of the bond that we make while we are at Andover, and how those bonds continue to grow even afterwards. Overall I just really enjoyed her enthusiasm and positivity and felt like it was a very inspiring discussion,” said Lubin.
Following the speeches, seniors were able to connect with more experienced members of the community over dinner. Beyond hearing pieces of advice from the alumni, Lubin spoke to how uplifting it was to engage and interact with them, speaking to their warmth.
“I found it really uplifting to hear and be able to speak with the alumni. It was really encouraging and I loved the enthusiasm that everyone had to participate and to speak with us. It was exciting to have the opportunity to speak with the alumni and make new meaningful connections… I feel like that is an opportunity that is really special and unique. It felt like a once in a lifetime situation,” said Lubin.
