As graduation nears, seniors can begin to take advantage of opportunities offered by the Notre Dame Alumni Association (NDAA), smoothing their transition into life after college.
Seniors can use the Alumni Association's online network, Irish Online, to begin establishing connections to Notre Dame alumni around the world.
"We would really like to encourage the Class of 2008 to register and login to Irish Online before they graduate," said Meeghan Mousaw, assistant director of Early Alumni Services. "It only takes a few minutes to register and after logging in they will be able to see all the things available."
Through Irish Online, seniors can look for an alumni mentor, search for a job, find a former classmate or alumnus, update their contact information and create a personal Web page.
Irish Online also allows seniors to sign up for e-mail forwarding.
"After you leave Notre Dame, your nd.edu address will only be good until early July," Mousaw said. "E-mail forwarding is a free service available to all Notre Dame alumni that only requires users to obtain an e-mail address in the form, yourname@alumni.nd.edu."
Any e-mails sent to the student e-mail will automatically be forwarded to the user's new address. Mousaw said this is an important - and easy - way of staying connected to the University and other graduates.
Mousaw also said the Alumni Association will be giving out free gifts to all seniors who register with Irish Online and select their future alumni club. Students who do not know where they will be living next fall can select up to four clubs, in case they at least have a few possible locations in mind.
But no matter where students go after graduation, the Alumni Association is hoping to welcome them there - especially in larger cities - as clubs host "Young Alum Orientations" in August and September, Mousaw said.
The Notre Dame Club of Chicago, for example, will be hosting an event called "Chicag-O" - spun off from "Frosh-O" - "so that the newest alums can be welcomed to their new city," Mousaw said.
Seniors who wish to participate in these events across the country must provide Irish Online with their personal information, Mousaw said, so they can be contacted by their respective alumni club, she said.
Seniors will receive in March a copy of "Onward to Victory," a newsletter that details each of these opportunities.
Also in March, voting will conclude for the 2008 Alumni Board of Directors elections, she said. Each member on the board serves a three-year term and represents all graduates on alumni issues. Seniors have until March 12 to cast their ballots.
The Alumni Association will be holding a Senior Open House on April 3 at the Eck Center where students can learn more about these opportunities.
