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Leadership Directory
Yale College Classes
Secretaries and AYA Representatives
Quinquennial Reunions attract the most classmates and their families back to campus. Along with traditional social events, reunions emphasize educational opportunities which focus on alumni and faculty speakers and tours of Yale’s outstanding facilities and collections.
Throughout the year, classes hold smaller gatherings both on campus and around the country. These vary from dinners followed by educational, athletic or cultural activities, to longer mini-reunions in interesting locations.
Many alumni in a variety of volunteer positions serve to maintain and expand their classmates’ connections to Yale through class activities. To recognize the commitment of time and energy of these volunteers on behalf of their classes, the AYA offers classes the opportunity to present up to five Class Awards for “distinguished service to the class” at the time of each quinquennial reunion.
Student Programs
Classes also focus their attention on service to Yale. Several have endowed all or part of an AYA Community Service Summer Fellowship. Many have been extraordinarily generous with time and funds in active and long-standing affiliations with a residential college.
The AYA sponsors a number of programs for both undergraduate and graduate and professional students, and has developed a number of avenues for strengthening the critical relationship between alumni and current students.
The AYA works closely with all Yale College Classes, including the current senior class during their final year in New Haven. Since senior class officers serve terms that officially conclude with the fifth reunion, the working relationship developed during their senior year introduces them to the AYA programs and personnel.
To foster greater interaction between alumni and current students, the AYA Board of Governors created the Student Alumni Relations Council. One representative each from the sophomore and junior classes is elected by their classmates to serve a one-year term on the council. These students provide assistance with current programs and new initiatives, that are of interest to students, and also serve as delegates to the AYA Assembly.
To further strengthen the connection with the student body, the AYA serves as advisor to the Yale Banner, the student organization which publishes the Yale Banner (Yearbook) and Old Campus (freshman facebook). Our intention is to help the students publish the highest quality yearbooks by providing clerical and organizational support. As the primary record of student life at Yale, the Yale Banner is for many alumni an important reminder of their time on campus.
One of the most popular and successful student-alumni programs is the AYA Externship program. An externship is a one or two week unpaid program in which undergraduate and graduate and professional students spend spring break working directly with Yale alumni in an area of potential career interest. The program offers the student a glimpse of the occupational field as well as providing some hands-on work experience.
The AYA Community Service Summer Fellowship provides a different kind of interaction between alumni and students. This program is described in Clubs and Associations.
