Our BOLD Members - Amy Ostrom

Young Alumni Show Support for Campaign

Three years ago, Amy Ostrom, '06, was elected president of the Memorial Union Program Council, and she spent the year encouraging her fellow students to participate in campus events.

Today, two years after graduation, Ostrom is again taking the lead in encouraging her peers to be engaged with the university during The Campaign for OSU—now as young alumni.

"The campaign is a tremendous opportunity to stay a part of OSU after you graduate," she said. "The time is now. You don't have to wait 20 years down the road. We just need your support, and that can come in different forms."

Moreover, Ostrom added, being involved as young alumni can lead to connections that have career benefits.

To bring more recent graduates together, Ostrom is helping plan a new series of events for young alumni, a group defined as those who graduated from Oregon State within the last nine years. Some will be social events, such as the young alumni tailgater, which debuted at a home football game last September and was jointly sponsored by the OSU Foundation and OSU Alumni Association. Other gatherings will provide opportunities for networking with older alumni who have achieved success in various fields.

A double major in speech communications and business administration, Ostrom is now working in retail management in the Portland metropolitan area. 'My classes and experiences have prepared me so well for my career and the real world," she said. 'It's satisfying to know that I can help give back to the school that was so important in my life."

For Ostrom, giving back has included a financial gift of $250, an amount placing her in the President's Circle Young Alumni, part of OSU's inner circle of annual donors. With her student experiences still fresh in her mind, she designated her gift for the speech communications department.

"It was a proud moment for me to write that check," she said.

Established just two years ago, the President's Circle Young Alumni currently has 430 members, but the group is growing.

"We're really excited about this group and look forward to seeing it continue to expand," said Nate Coston, associate director for annual giving programs at the OSU Foundation. "We would like to help build the relationship between recent graduates and OSU, so that they never have a time when they feel disconnected from the university."

The OSU Alumni Association is also developing new programs and services specifically for young alumni, while welcoming them at its ongoing array of events. OSUAA membership benefits include access to the Kaplan test prep program for those applying to graduate school and GradMed short term medical insurance.

Ostrom feels strongly that young alumni have a lot to give, and to gain, by keeping their ties to the OSU community.

"I highly encourage everyone to get involved," she said. 'More than anything, it's fun!"

Oregon State University | OSU Foundation