How to help
Alumni can assist with student recruitment, career mentoring, alumni-affiliated organizations and special events. Volunteering for VCU Alumni and your alma mater is a great way to give back to VCU and to be involved in the exciting changes happening at the university. Email alumni@vcu.edu to learn more about these and other volunteer opportunities that match your interests, or submit the form below.
Be an ambassador
Alumni are needed to help the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at various college fairs throughout Virginia and in other states. VCU alumni make excellent representatives at these events because you can speak from personal experience. You graduated and are a success story. Students and parents want to hear from you. Learn more about how you can help.
Mentor a student
Are you looking to serve as a career resource? It’s as easy as sharing a job lead, serving as a networking connection or offering an insider’s perspective into your field or organization.
The VCU Alumni African-American Alumni Council's Mentoring Circle connects current African-American undergraduate students with alumni with shared professional interests. Alumni are invited to meet students who would benefit from having an e-mentor/mentor to help open doors to internships, apprenticeships or employment opportunities. The program also includes a "mocktail" event to provide students with helpful tips on how to land a job through networking.
The School of Business's VCU BizConnect offers two ways to engage. CONNECT is a yearlong mentoring program where you'll be matched with a student who is interested in your career path. EXPLORE is a way for you to meet with students on a 1:1 basis where they’ll ask you questions about your career and life.
The School of Nursing’s Alumni Connector: Mentorship Program connects nursing students and alumni by building a community where nursing professionals can offer advice on school matters, information about career options and other issues relevant to nursing. The program is open to all alumni and current students of the School of Nursing and is meant to provide students with a mentor that they can go to for wisdom and encouragement as they go through their year. The program runs annually October-April.
You can also:
- Hire students by posting jobs on Handshake.
- Host Career Treks, a yearlong series of two-three hour “networking field trips” for students to explore Richmond businesses. Treks highlight jobs within industries such as health care, nonprofits, human services, government and advocacy. During Treks, students meet professionals (you!) working in the field, learn what you do and how you got to where you are. If you're interested in hosting, email careers@vcu.edu.
- Attend career fairs to recruit students for your company. Check out upcoming career fairs, or if you're interested in attending a career fair, email Danielle Pearles, VCU Career Services' assistant director of employer and experiential development, at ddpearles@vcu.edu.
- Donate your gently used professional clothing to the VCU Career Services' Suit Yourself program. When preparing for an interview, one of the most common questions students ask is, "What should I wear?" Suit Yourself aims to inspire self-confidence in VCU students by alleviating the stress of worrying about what to wear to an interview. To date, the program has given professional attire to more than 250 deserving students. Donations of suits, dress shirts/blouses, pants, women's skirts, men's ties, belts and shoes can be brought to VCU Career Services, located in Room 143 in the University Student Commons, during business hours. If you are interested in hosting a clothing drive, please contact Jeanette Hickl, at (804) 828-4846 or jwhickl@vcu.edu. Donations are tax-deductible.
Connect with alumni-affiliated organizations
VCU Alumni sponsors, encourages and partners with many organizations that provide opportunities for professional development, networking, volunteering and friendship-building. Get involved by joining one of our chapters associated with VCU schools, departments, athletic organizations, social and fraternal organizations and other special-interest groups. Learn more about how you can get involved.
Volunteer at special events
Special events vary from school to school but opportunities exist in assisting with dinners, galas, awards recognition programs, golf tournaments, regional events and seminars. Let us know you want to help.
Make a gift
Give back to your alma mater by supporting the Make It Real Campaign for VCU. Alumni support of this fundraising campaign, the largest in the university’s history, will help transform people’s lives, our campus, our community, our commonwealth, our nation and our world. Every gift, no matter the amount, has the potential to change lives.
