What is the most important thing to bring with you to college?

     A) Shower shoes
     B) Duct Tape
     C) Easy Mac
     D) Laundry quarters

The answer, as you might expect, depends on YOU.

The 17th Annual Young Alumni Day was a record-breaking event as 24 alumni from the classes of 2008 and 2009 returned to campus Thursday, December 17 to participate in this highly anticipated panel discussion with Valley Catholic seniors. A tradition developed by the Alumni Relations Office and the College Counseling Office, Young Alumni Day provides a unique opportunity for recent graduates to return to campus and share their university experiences with seniors and provide current relevant information about leaving high school in pursuit of higher education. The discussion, which covered a wide range of topics, was led by College Counselor, Joe Bernard. Strategies for living with roommates, balancing academics and social life and selecting the best professors were among the topics discussed.

Cancelled due to weather in 2008, this year’s Young Alumni Day panel included two years of graduates and a more in-depth look into collegiate life. The diverse university experiences of young alumni also added to the discussion; panel members are attending universities ranging from private to public to international.

After the presentation, young alumni and Valley Catholic faculty reconnected over a lunch reception hosted by the Alumni Relations Office. The class of 2010 boasts 98 members and will graduate June 5, 2010.

On the evening of Friday, December 11, nearly 80 alumni and guests gathered in the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel for the 2nd Annual Alumni Christmas Mass and Reception.  For the first time, Father Jeff Meeuwsen ’95 presided over Mass at his alma mater.  His classmate and violinist, Christine Wilson Goodner ’95, lead five future alumni on violin, while Laurie Coleman Litmer ’87 cantored the Mass.  Also participating in the mass were Dawn Turney Weinbender ’82, Ann Bielke Duyck ’87, Jana Iwasaki ’98 and Sisters Charlene Herinckx ’66, Josephine Pelster ’65 and Angeline Sohler ’43. The reception was a unique experience as alumni from 1943 to 2003 shared Christmas greetings and campus memories with one another.