Congratulations! Whether it was last spring or 50 years ago, at some point you graduated from Kenyon. Well done! 

Since then, you’ve probably stayed close with your college friends: the ones you lived with, ate with, trained with. Maybe they’re your roommates or were in your wedding. You might even be in touch with some of your professors — your cheerleaders and mentors for life.

And if not, we get it; life happens. It’s also never too late to reconnect or make new Kenyon friends and connections.

You may only be a student for four years, but you’re a member of the Kenyon alumni community for life. And that has some serious perks. Here are 24 tips to help you make the most of all that Kenyon has to offer — beyond the Hill. 

1. Come to Reunion Weekend

There is simply nothing like a Reunion Weekend. Imagine a slightly more respectable Senior Week with opportunities galore to spend time with your classmates and professors and check out the many improvements to campus since you graduated. (We have an underground parking garage now! And a visit to Chalmers Library will make you wish you had comps to cram for.) 

Every year, more than 1,000 alumni come back for this special weekend. All alumni are welcome each year, not just those with five-year anniversaries. Visit kenyon.edu/reunion to see what the fuss is all about, and save the date for May 22-24, 2026 — with a bonus day for the Class of 1976 and Perennial Reunion classes on May 21. 

2. Update your contact info (and don’t ghost the student callers) 

It’s difficult to invite you to events if we don’t know where to send the invitation. Our carrier pigeon budget is minimal. Let Kenyon know how to reach you with updates from campus and news about your fellow alumni and events in your area. Send your name, address, phone number and email to updateinfo@kenyon.edu.

Also, a group of students are hired as student advancement officers each year, and their job is to call alumni like you to invite your support and answer any Kenyon questions you may have.  Even if you’re not ready to give to Kenyon yet, we hope you’ll give them a few minutes of your time.

3. Follow the Kenyon Alumni Instagram account

You probably already follow the College on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook, but if you’re not also following @kenyonalumni on Instagram you’re missing out on content just for you. We highlight alumni achievements, share Kenyon trivia and throwback pics, and post Kenyon updates.

4. Make a gift to Kenyon

If you care about Kenyon enough to read this article, we hope you’ll also give to Kenyon. Kenyon relies on gifts of all sizes each year, from $10 to those with a lot more zeroes, to provide some form of financial aid to most Kenyon students (85% in the last academic year) and so much more. Need more motivation? Donors are the first to receive tokens of appreciation in the form of cool Kenyon swag.

Gifts to the Kenyon Fund touch each day of life on the Hill, providing financial aid, keeping varsity and club sports in play, supporting your favorite professors and benefiting everything that makes Kenyon Kenyon. 

Kenyon’s endowment — like a 401(k) — is smaller than our peer institutions’, which means family finances still factor into admissions decisions. We want anyone who would thrive at Kenyon to come here, regardless of their bank accounts. And we bet you do, too. 

The way we get there is through giving. Learn more at kenyon.edu/giving-to-kenyon.

5. Submit a Class Note (and brag a little!)

Twice a year, we send out a call for updates to share with your classmates. This is your chance to brag about your career, your move, your travel, your dog or your grandkids. Really anything you feel like sharing. Your notes are mailed or emailed to your class, and some even end up in this magazine (i.e., the part we know you read first). Send yours to class.letters@kenyon.edu.

6. Just Ask!

Kenyon people love helping Kenyon people. Now, we have a new platform that makes reaching out to your fellow alumni as easy as sending an email. No logins needed. Are you thinking about switching fields and want to connect with alumni in that area? Just Ask! New to town and want to find your Kenyon peeps (lowercase)? Just Ask! Students can use the platform, too, so you might even hear from a student interested in your area of expertise. 

Visit justask.kenyon.edu to send your question into the Kenyon ether, and the platform will connect you to the right alum to get an answer.

7. Attend an alumni event

The Kenyon alumni office has events all over the country.  From happy hours and sporting events to opportunities to meet President Julie Kornfeld, these events are a no-pressure way to meet Kenyon people near you. Introverts are welcome! You have built-in conversation topics in your shared Kenyon experiences, no matter your year. See who makes a joke about the New Apartments first.

Keep an eye on your email or visit kenyon.edu/alumnievents to find one near you or for help planning an event. 

8. Host a job shadow …

Job shadows are typically between one and three days, during which a Kenyon student comes to your place of employment to observe the various aspects of your job. They bring their own work for times when you have a confidential meeting (or need to pause to do Wordle). Job shadows allow students to gain an understanding of what work actually looks like. 

9. … or a professional extension project

If you have a remote project that a Kenyon student could learn professional skills from, we probably have a student who’d be interested in it. Students gain insights into an industry while receiving valuable coaching and feedback from you. Each one is a standalone project, approximately three to 40 hours in duration, that students can complete remotely, year-round with commonly available software and equipment. 

10. Connect a student to an internship

The Career Development Office can help you create an internship reserved specifically for a Kenyon student. 

11. And let the CDO help you, too

If you’re looking to make a job or career change, the Career Development Office is still a resource for you. Its staff can help you polish your resume and write a cover letter that shows off your strengths without smacking of ChatGPT. 

Contact cdo@kenyon.edu to learn more about these opportunities.

12. Follow Kenyon sports teams

If you were an athlete, you remember the power of people rooting for you. Most teams’ contests are livestreamed, and you can follow your favorite sports teams on social media as well. Find the links at athletics.kenyon.edu. 

13. Participate in a virtual book club

What began as a Pittsburgh virtual event during the pandemic has now become a regular bimonthly event that is open to all alumni. Organized by Susan Apel ’83 P’16, these virtual hangouts provide an opportunity to read good books and discuss them with smart people, just like being back in a college seminar. Visit kenyon.edu/alumnievents to find the next homework assignment.

14. Fill your screens with Kenyon

Kenyon is on TikTok and has a YouTube channel. You’ll find insider videos of popular Kenyon spaces (Kenyon Kribs), meet today’s students and some recent graduates, and generally bathe your eyeballs in Kenyon. 

15. Stock up on Kenyon gear at shopkenyon.com

The bookstore is online! It updates its designs regularly so you can keep it Kenyon year-round. What’s the wildest place you ever spotted someone in Kenyon finery? Bonus points if you send us a photo of your Kenyon fit — we might even feature you on the Kenyon Alumni Instagram!  

16. Volunteer for Kenyon

Those events we mentioned and the money raised for Kenyon? Volunteers are instrumental in both. Class agents write letters twice a year inviting Class Notes and giving, while regional volunteers plan events in their area, with support from the alumni office. Kenyon Women Giving Back celebrate and amplify alumnae contributions to the world and Kenyon by building connections and philanthropic support. Learn more and see other ways you can make an impact for Kenyon at kenyon.edu/for-alumni/volunteer.

17. Nominate an alum for an award

We love to recognize our volunteers and other alumni for their work for Kenyon, as well as their general awesomeness. We give out awards for doing half the things on this list! Check out past award winners or submit a nomination at kenyon.edu/for-alumni/awards.

18. Listen to WKCO

Kenyon’s best and only radio station can be found online at wkco919.org. With album reviews, interviews with Kenyon bands and curated playlists, you can transport your ears back to Gambier anytime.

19. Find your friends

If you’re hoping to reconnect with a fellow alum, we can probably help! After all, it can be hard to tell who LadyPurple­Pants1824 on Instagram is. Is it your old roommate or a grandmother who likes the Lakers? We can eliminate the guesswork. Visit kenyon.edu/alumni and find the contact information request form under “Stay in Touch.” 

20. Eat at an alumni-owned restaurant

From New York to Austin, Kenyon alumni are behind some of the country’s most exciting food and dining spots (see the story “A Taste of Tomorrow”). Make a reservation next time you are in one of their cities, and explore their online shops to bring a taste of Kenyon home.

21. Build your Kenyon bookshelf

Kenyon is known as a writer’s school for a reason — from poetry and cookbooks to bestselling novels and memoirs, our alumni are prolific authors. For starters, check out the Bookshelf, then add a few more to your reading list.

22. Get to know (and join!) your alumni volunteers

The Alumni Council meets three times a year to discuss programs and issues that directly affect the College and alumni. It provides direct feedback to the Kenyon administration regarding alumni issues, determines the slate of candidates for the council and alumni trustee election, and determines several awards recognized around Reunion Weekend.

Kenyon Fund Executive Committee (KFEC) is the leadership group for the Kenyon Fund and encourages support for it.

“I volunteer to ensure Kenyon exists for future generations. I’ve been able to remain connected to Kenyon and alumni through my experiences: I’ve welcomed new students, supported a bookstore scholarship with alumni in my backyard, learned in the company of old and new friends, fundraised to support the Kenyon Fund so current students can receive the same level of financial support as I did, welcomed class agents to the team, and planned Reunions to reconnect with classmates.” —Becky Hoyt ’99, class agent, KFEC chair

23. Read the Kenyon Alumni Magazine

Go ahead and check this one off right now!

24. Send a letter to the editor

How do you stay in touch with Kenyon? Did we miss something? Let us know by emailing editor@kenyon.edu.