Featured | NewsMay 26, 2021

Alumni Director Rick Goins Reflects on His Time at UAFS

Written By: Dr. Judith Hansen

There’s an old saying that if you love what you do, you never go to work. Over the last 7 and a half years, I believe I have “gone to work” for about a total of three weeks. It has been my honor and privilege to represent, engage with, and share the stories of as many of our amazing students and alumni as possible as your director of Alumni Affairs.

 

We have and will continue to engage both current students and alumni, young and old, through our Mentor Connections program and student/alumni panel discussions. We also support students through our Alumni Legacy Scholarship Endowment. Established in 2015, thanks to the hard work and generosity of our Alumni Advisory Council, alumni, and friends of the University, as of this fall, we will have awarded $18,000 in scholarships to deserving legacy students.  And, with your ongoing support, that number will increase every year.

 

In 2016 we began the tradition of providing every graduate a Bell Tower lapel pin at commencement as a reminder of their time at UAFS and our campus icon. Later this year, we hope to expand that tradition by establishing an annual Bell Tower Day when we hope our alumni across the nation will wear their pin as a display of Lion Pride.

 

We will continue family-friendly Little Lions events, professional development opportunities, reunion events at Homecoming, our Lion’s 5K, and annual Roarin’ on the River Low Country Shrimp Boil. The latter two events raise funds for our growing scholarship endowment.

 

As I retire on June 30, I want to thank chancellor Dr. Terisa Riley and Vice Chancellor Blake Rickman for their support and the freedom they have given me. Thanks as well to Advancement Editor Judith Hansen for always making me sound smarter than I am. And finally, thanks to Assistant Director Jasmine Smith for her dedication, hard work, constant inspiration, and, most of all, her friendship.

 

I look forward to returning to campus for these events every year and the opportunity to renew the wonderful friendships I have made with so many of you. 

 

With Lion Pride!

Rick Goins

Director of Alumni Affairs

 

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• Alumni