The New Face
of Engaged Alumni
BY
T H AT I A N A
LOTT
A big part of the college experience
revolves around social activities, and
campus life at JU is no exception.
But that sense of camaraderie doesn’t
have to stop for those leaving campus
to enter the “real world.”
Meet Lindsey Craft MBA ’15, Jerail
Fennell ’16, and Lucas Meers ’12, three
members of JU’s GOLD (Graduates Of
the Last Decade) Phin Society, who
prize staying connected to their alma
mater. Together this unique group
of young JU alumni is giving back
to the school and community they
love, while building and growing a
network of professional contacts and
lifelong friends.
“JU grads are great company,” Meers
smiled, as he spoke of one of the
many reasons he has stayed involved
with JU after he graduated with a BS
in Marine Science. “We go out into
the world to build our careers and our
lives, but often times we don't stop to
look at what we’ve accomplished and
to reconnect with our old friends and
make some new ones.” That’s where
the GOLD Phin Society steps in.
MAKING
CONNECTIONS
Along with Meers, Craft is a member
of the GOLD Phin Committee that
plans and leads key GOLD Phin
events in Jacksonville throughout the
year. Past events include a cornhole
tournament at JU Homecoming, an
opportunity to get a professional
portrait at a local brewery, and a
highly successful networking brunch
at Top Golf that raised more than
$2,000 for JU scholarships. The
group also participates in Big Green
Give, JU’s annual Day of Giving,
where students, faculty, staff, alumni,
parents, and friends join together
38
F E AT U R E S
to give back to JU students and the
Jacksonville community through
philanthropy and service projects.
“Our events have gotten great
attendance and I think a large part of
that comes from fellow alumni hosting
them,” said Craft. “It’s not just the school
putting on an activity, it’s a GOLD
Phin – your friend or someone who
was in class with you or a friend of a
friend. There’s a face linked to the event
and that connection can be powerful.
Plus it’s less intimidating to network
in a group of people you already have a
common connection with.”
Those networking opportunities Craft
mentioned top the list of reasons to
join the GOLD Phin Society. “Whether
you want to begin your career, switch
careers, advance your career, you’re
sure to find the people you seek in
this community,” said Meers, the
Conservation Program Officer at
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens & the
Okapi Conservation Project.
“Just by attending one event, you could
meet the right connections to get a job,”
added Craft. And she would know. Her
connections through JU helped her
land a job as Project Manager at Black
Knight, Inc. Now she’s passing along
those same opportunities to others by
being heavily involved with recruiting
and the internship program at Black
Knight. She leverages GOLD Phin
events to help her company find talent.
PAY I N G I T
F O R WA R D
Craft, Fennell, and Meers all agree
that they jumped at the chance
to become a GOLD Phin because
they wanted to give back. To join
the GOLD Phin Society, members
must give either their class year
per month (e.g., $20.18 for class
of ’18) or $250+ per year. Their
donations make a difference in the
lives of other Dolphins, supporting
women's educational opportunities,
environmental cleanup and campus
sustainability, and veteran's programs,
to name a few.
“Paying it forward is at my core,”
said Meers. When he first came to JU
from St. Louis, Mo., he struggled his
first semester because he was really