Flyers for Life
Recharging and reconnecting at Reunion Weekend
By Addison Hoover ’09
Author bio
City: Boston, MA
Profession: Healthcare Tech Entrepreneur
Favorite UD home: 107 Evanston
I’ve never really thought of myself as one for reunions. But the timing for this one was optimal – after 10 years, it’s easy to start sleepwalking in life, to live on the default setting. This Reunion Weekend presented a really good chance to be in a space with people that recharge and motivate me.
As for the weekend, I kept pretty busy from the ‘09 Class Party to the Alumni Golf Outing and the Donor Brunch, and the whole time I felt so impressed by the alumni I reconnected with and a University that continues to innovate and evolve.
One of the highlights was actually getting time with current students at the Institute of Applied Creativity for Transformation. Open to students in any area of study, the IACT’s first-ever undergraduate certificate sits on the cutting edge of education. That session, its students, and its faculty – I was really floored by it.
The session was designed to bring alumni and students into a space to collaborate on real-world issues. As alumni, we were able to see the students’ processes and projects firsthand, and truthfully, I learned from them. It was a fantastic way to spend a few hours on campus.
Some of these academic innovations – programs like IACT – they can be hard for some alumni to wrap their heads around, but as I engaged with these students, saw their methodologies up close, and understood the deliverables they were producing, it was game changing.
The program cultivates passion and purpose like nothing I have ever seen, and I truly believe it will transform the way we prepare young people for the modern realities of post-graduate life. Mark my words, just like the Entrepreneurship program did 15 years ago, IACT is primed not just to be a landmark achievement for the University of Dayton, but for all higher education.
Throughout Reunion Weekend, I had conversations with some alumni concerned about change, but I'm incredibly enthusiastic by what I see as outstanding progress. Today, I am thrilled to have returned to a University brimming with life and momentum and am incredibly proud to call myself a University of Dayton alumnus.
Check out photos and stories from Reunion Weekend and save the date for next year's event: June 12-14, 2020.
