Student Alumni Association

About Us

The Student Alumni Association strives to strengthen the bond between alumni and current students at WIU. The organization provides outstanding leadership opportunities for its members. To become a member, students may attend a membership drive held at the beginning of each semester. Call 309-298-2166 for more information. The Student Alumni Association plan and sponsor a number of activites.

Student Alumni Association

 

Join SAA Today!

Interested in becoming a Student Ambassador? Application is easy. Provide the following information to Alumni Programs (A-Association@wiu.edu). After receipt of your application, you will be contacted to schedule a time to interview with the SAA President and Vice President.

Application Information:
Name, Year In School, Major
Why do you want to become a Student Ambassador?
Please list/explain any prior leadership experience you have or experience facilitating conversation within a group.
Why did you choose Western Illinois University?

SAA Basketball Game Winners

3rd Annual SAA Alumni/Faculty/Staff vs. Students Basketball Game
2009 Champions-Alumni/Faculty/Staff

Homecoming

The Student Alumni Association is a vital part of all Homecoming activities. Each year, they host the Paint the Paws event prior to Homecoming. During Homecoming weekend, they assist by hosting the Alumni & Friends Social at the Alumni House on Friday evening, work registration for the Old Stompin' Ground Run Around, set up for the parade, and visit with Alumni & Friends at the cookout prior to the football game. It is an excellent opportunity for the students to visit with alumni as well as allowing alumni to reconnect to the current student body.

SAA Scholarship

Student Alumni Association awards two scholarships of $200 every spring semester. These scholarships are provided to promising student leaders. In order to be eligible, students must attend Western full-time, be sophomores or juniors, and have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. They are also asked to send in one letter of recommendation. Other factors include their level of involvement on campus, how they see themselves as an active alumnus, and how the interaction between an alumnus and student can benefit current WIU students. It is important that these students demonstrate their ability to be in leadership positions and to be successful. Since we try to establish connections between students and alumni it is important for us to make sure the applicants are actively promoting Western and that they will continue to be supportive of the University after they graduate.

Click here for the scholarship application.

Survival SACS

During finals your student has to deal with stress and probably other obligations for a variety of activities. Send a gift to brighten his or her day. Survival SACs are care packages carefully prepared and delivered by the Student Alumni Association of Western Illinois University! Add on a Western T-shirt for your student to show his or her school pride!

Click here to order your Survival SAC today!

Paint the Paws

Paint the Paws is an activity performed just before Homecoming with a diverse group of campus organizations participating. The paws along Western Avenue and University Drive are re-painted yellow by organizations. This event is a collaborative project with the University Union Board.

Paint the Paws is a time-honored tradition where the entire WIU Community comes out and repaints the Leathernecks Paws along University Drive and Western Avenue. This wonderful event signifies the beginning of Homecoming as members of the community show alumni and friends the way to come back home to Western.

P.A.W.S. (Pairing Alumni With Students)

P.A.W.S. (“Pairing Alumni With Students”) helps bridge the gap between current students and WIU Alumni. Current students are paired with alumni to learn more about their respective majors/career fields. If you would like to participate in P.A.W.S., please contact the Alumni Association.

Western Connection Newsletter

Student Alumni Association publishes a newsletter every spring semester. This newsletter is sent out to all past members of the Student Alumni Association. All of the Executive Board members in SAA write paragraphs to introduce themselves and the positions they have. We try to keep alumni updated on what is going on both with our organization and also with Western in general. It is important for the current students at Western to keep ties with its former students through these types of communications.

Summer 2009 SAA Newsletter

Discover Western Tours

Discover Western is a program established through the Admissions Office. Prospective students are invited to visit WIU for a day. Students and their families come to a Discover Western, have a continental breakfast in the University Union, have the opportunity to tour academic departments and learn more about the major programs at WIU. Following the academic presentation, there is a student panel question and answer session that is staffed by Student Ambassadors from Student Alumni Association, followed by lunch and a guided walking tour, also given by Student Ambassadors. The tour ends with an informal question and answer session with Admissions counselors.

Grad Blast

Grad Blast is an annual event held in the spring semester in honor of the seniors graduating in May, August, and December of that year. It is always held at a local Macomb establishment and the Alumni Relations committee provides graduating seniors with important information about the benefits and services of the WIU Alumni Association, including access to the Online Social Network, issues of RockeNews and Western News, health and auto insurance, and other benefits as Western Alumni. The Alumni Relations committee also coordinates free food, soda and raffle prizes to give to the seniors in a celebration of their accomplishments at Western Illinois University.

Western Welcome Party

Each fall the Student Alumni Association partners with the Alumni Association to welcome new students to campus and into the Alumni Association. The party is held at a local Macomb establishment with complimentary food, soda, prizes and information on the benefits of being a free member of the Alumni Association. All Alumni are invited to attend to network with the new students and share their wisdom and experiences as WIU Leathernecks.

Student Alumni Association