2021 State of the College & Foundation Annual Report

32 WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE ALUMNI T he Financial Planning Association of the Greater Hudson Valley continues to partner for our Financial Education Seminar Series. With increased frequency of events, topics have been guided by the time of year as well as current events impacting the lives of our participants. In the early months of the pandemic, we especially targeted programming towards shifting budgets, managing job loss and addressing investments during a time of crises. Professional development benefits alumni of all professions. Our networking happy hours have drawn together crowds of alumni in fields such as accounting, cybersecurity, paralegal and STEM fields. Professors from these departments partner to connect students and alumni. And our Career Services office provides support to alumni with access to their online resources, as well as presen- tations ranging from resume writing to enhancing your online networking profile. 33 STATE OF THE COLLEGE 2021 With a focus on providing alumni with meaningful opportunities for engagement, the Office of Alumni Engagement continues to enhance its programing through campus and community partnerships. And through those partnerships the transition from in-person events to online programming was seamless. One of our newest collaborations has been especially popular as we transitioned to remote programming, and that is with the Workforce De- velopment and Community Education Programs. Jumping immediately into sessions about how to use Zoom and go live on Facebook addressed an immediate need to alumni. We continue to provide classes with a focus on building technical skills and Arts programming. Whether it is joining our culinary instructors for happy hour with a signature cocktail or participat- ing in webinars addressing issues of social justice, alumni are embracing the opportunity to come together in meaningful ways.