As LFA’s second semester begins, many LFA alumni are in town for the annual Young Alumni Lunch. Students who graduated from LFA in the last five years were invited to return and have lunch with their previous teachers. The school welcomed the alum back with a lovely catered lunch of gyros and french fries, hosted in the garden room. The event bustled with laughter and thoughtful conversations between students and teachers, as they reminisced about memories and shared updates on their lives beyond LFA.
Gabi Stewart ‘24, a freshman at the University of Illinois said, “It was great to be back on campus to see teachers and alums I haven’t seen in a while.”
Beginning in late October of 2024, Ruth Keyso, Senior Director of Alumni Engagement & Philanthropy, and her team began the process of organizing the event. They first compiled a list of addresses. In November, they sent out an invite to all alumni who graduated in the last five years. Throughout November and December, email and text messages were sent to the young alumni and social media reminders were posted leading up to the event. This annual tradition usually draws in roughly 70 alums, a successful turnout considering the varying college and winter break schedules of the students. This year’s event stood out with 89 returning students, which made the garden room especially lively with laughter and great conversation.
Following the Young Alumni Lunch, Keyso and her team sent a follow-up email, thanking the alumni with a link to the photos that were taken during the event.
Not only was this event exciting for alumni but also the current LFA community. For many students on campus, this was an opportunity for them to reconnect with their peers.
Emma Swanson ‘25 said, “It is sometimes hard to meet up with my friends who have graduated since they go to school far away or our schedules just don’t line up. The Young Alumni Lunch was the perfect opportunity for me to be able to see them again and catch up.”
Teachers also look forward to this event. Joe Ward, a mathematics teacher, has attended the Young Alumni Luncheon 11 times. He said,. “Young alumni are excited about being back, seeing each other and also seeing the faculty and staff that were with them throughout their time here.” He explained that the luncheon is nostalgic for alumni and teachers because it is “neat for us to see if they are finding success … our hope as educators is that we have prepared them for that.” This lunch serves as a way for teachers to receive feedback about their teaching based on the success of these young alumni. Alumni undergo significant change between the ages of 18 and 25 and it is exciting for educators to witness their growth during this phase.
This is only one of the alumni events that Keyso and her team plan. Throughout the year, they host regional events across the country to connect with past LFA students of all ages. Locations like Florida, New York City and San Francisco are some upcoming destinations. Additionally, Keyso makes sure to stay in touch with past Caxys and update them on campus news. Networking is another major task Keyso focuses on, working closely with the new Networking Club on campus as well as hosting the Young Alumni Networking Night in February, an event she founded and which holds a special place in her heart. Networking Night was created in partnership with the Rothstein family, in remembrance of Josh Rothstein, a student from 2005 who passed during his time at LFA. Keyso emphasized that Networking Night honors Josh, noting that he was a passionate student who would have loved this type of event and most likely would have returned as one of the alumni representatives. This networking event is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain professional advice and form connections that could help them in their futures.
