Be involved in the SOM Alumni Community
The University of Michigan-Flint School of Management has a network of nearly 9,000 successful business alumni. Our commitment to supporting alumni doesn’t end at graduation; it’s only the beginning. As you transition from student to professional, we are here to support and engage you in your career journey.
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Alumni Engagement Opportunities:
- Volunteering Programs: Give back to your alma mater by volunteering.
- Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with the latest SOM news and developments.
- Event Participation: Attend exclusive alumni events and networking opportunities.
- Share Your Success: Inspire others by sharing your professional journey and achievements.
- Philanthropy: Contribute to the ongoing success of future UM-Flint students.
By joining the UM-Flint School of Management alumni community, you continue to benefit from valuable connections and resources that support your professional growth. We are dedicated to maintaining our relationship with you as you thrive in your career.
Join the UM-Flint SOM Alumni Network today and take advantage of all the opportunities available to our esteemed graduates. Whether you’re looking to volunteer, stay informed, attend events, share your inspiring story, or give back, there’s a place for you in our vibrant alumni community.
2024 Alumni Awardees
Dylan Straka: 2024 Early Career Alumni Achievement Award Recipient
Waitlisted at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Dylan Straka spent his freshman fall semester at Mott Community College while waiting to transfer to Michigan State University in the winter. During this time, he worked at King Par, a local golf company. Despite his transfer plans to Michigan State, Dylan soon realized that he preferred a smaller school environment.
Recognizing his goals, the CFO at King Par approached Dylan with an opportunity. They offered him an entry-level accounting position. The CFO, a University of Michigan-Flint graduate, knew Dylan could benefit from UM-Flint’s flexible class schedules, and gain professional work experience throughout college, which would allow him to accelerate his career aspirations by building his resume early. Dylan could earn the Michigan degree he desired while forging closer relationships with faculty.
Steve Whitener: 2024 Outstanding Alumni Award Recipient
Steve Whitener hasn’t forgotten the support he received as a college student at UM-Flint. He was slated to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business. He worked 32 to 40 hours a week at Kroger to help pay for school, but as a senior, he struggled to pay for college, along with basics like groceries, gasoline, and rent. However, university officials helped Whitener land a series of scholarships. Several of them came from small organizations or clubs. This helped Whitener to stay in school and graduate.
2023 Alumni Awardees
Holly Kilburn: 2023 Early Career Alumni Achievement Award Recipient
Holly earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management in 2016. UM-Flint recognized her as a Maize and Blue Award winner. She was recognized as a James B. Angell Scholar for her continued high academic achievement. Speaking during the spring 2016 commencement ceremony, Holly offered a message of hope and inspiration, sharing challenges that students had to overcome as single mothers, first-generation college students, and English language learners.
Ways to Give Back as a SOM Alumni
Impact the next generation of UM-Flint Wolverines by being a volunteer! Most of our volunteer opportunities range from an hour to a day commitment. We welcome alumni to participate in the following activities:
- Be a panelist at one of the multiple Alumni Career Panels hosted throughout the year
- Be a guest speaker in a classroom, at an Honors dinner or at a graduate orientation
- Have a student job shadow you for a day
- Host a company tour where you work
- Have a long-term mentor relationship
- Share your college/career experience for the monthly aMaizeing Alumni feature on the SOM Blog
- Volunteer at commencement
- Write Blue Notes to inspire accepted students to become Wolverines at the University of Michigan-Flint!
- Advertise an internship/career opportunity to SOM students. Send potential career opportunities to Justin Skibin, Career Development Manager
- Record a video about your experience in the program to be shown at orientation
- Host a table at the SOM career fairs to network or hire UM-Flint students within your company
- And much more!
Interested in something else or have a different volunteer experience in mind?
Contact Anna Swartz, SOM Alumni Liaison,
with your ideas or for upcoming opportunities.
Connect with Us
Stay connected to the School of Management using your preferred method of communication!
Social Media
Follow our Facebook page for all the latest news and upcoming events. Our Instagram page includes regularly updated content, event reminders, interactive stories/reels, student/alumni highlights, and more! Twitter is a great location to see event reminders or find out what’s happening in the UM-Flint community.
Lastly, LinkedIn may be one of the best places for our alumni to follow us! When following our LinkedIn account, we can see where you are in your career. We share upcoming events, professional development opportunities, student/alumni stories, community/UM-Flint updates, job postings, and more with our followers. Does your LinkedIn list the University of Michigan-Flint or University of Michigan-Flint School of Management in your education section? LinkedIn is a great way to find other UM-Flint alumni! We encourage you to show your school spirit on your profile!
SOM Student/Alumni Network
Expand your network! The UM-Flint School of Management invites SOM students and SOM alumni to be a member of the Student/Alumni Network LinkedIn group. In this group, you will be able to meet current students and other alumni, share internships and jobs, exchange ideas, share professional development or training, give advice, and more! Start engaging: SOM Network.
The School of Management regularly sends out Alumni Newsletters. Every quarter, expect a newsletter to your inbox containing details on upcoming events, faculty updates, student highlights, dean’s report, and more exclusive details just for our alumni stakeholders.
We are proud of our alumni and want to continuously improve our school and programs. One way alumni can help progress our business programs is to regularly update their alumni profiles as their careers progress or when their contact information changes. Our rankings and recognitions depend on alumni surveys, which are sent out via email every two years.
Stay Informed
Use the links below to find the latest news and information on the School of Management!
Business @UM-Flint Magazine
Fall 2024, 50th-anniversary edition. Highlights include: – A journey through “50 Years of SOM” – New opportunities brought by Chancellor Alexander – Celebrating 100 years of excellence with Sorensen Gross – Welcomes to new faculty and farewells to our retiring professors – A Global Business Trends spotlight with Associate Dean Dr. Keith Kelley – A special feature on Phil Hagerman, our esteemed dono
Events
The School of Management hosts several alumni-specific events, including distinguished speaker series, alumni social hours or coffee hours, and more. Alumni can participate in any of the School of Management events! Like when you were a student, SOM hosts career fairs, alumni panels, career conversations, professional development workshops, and more.
As an alum, we also encourage you to stay connected with the business student clubs and attend their events as they occasionally invite business leaders to present to their organization. To find upcoming events, visit the UM-Flint events page and filter events by affiliation to alumni.
ALUMNI FEATURES | School of Management
We are looking for outstanding SOM alumni to share their college and professional experience with us to use for our monthly alumni spotlight series: aMaizeing Alumni. It takes less than 20 minutes to complete the form!
Invest in the School of Management
Support UM-Flint’s School of Management Dean’s Excellence Fund. This fund directly supports students’ success by awarding student scholarships, professional development and traveling, community engagement, technology such as the SOM Laptop Loaner Program, databases, and more. Give now!
If you have questions about giving or would like to contribute a specific gift, please contact Melissa Stephens-Farrell, Major Gifts Officer, in the University Advancement department.
Alumni Benefits
There are several additional benefits from U-M Alumni Association and from the School of Management. Some of the major benefits are listed below:
- The Alumni Career Support Scholarship offers financial support to alumni that are seeking a career change or pivot. The 30-day Career Design Fellowship program coaches UM-Alumni on how to find a fulfilling and rewarding career. The scholarship supports the enrollment in the program.
- The Alumni Education Gateway (AEG) hosts news and information on academic resources, courses, current events, seminars, and research of the University and its faculty to global alumni. Subscribe to start receiving tailor news to your inbox.
- The Alumni Career Program offers many resources from career webinars, career guides, job search 101, job boards, self-assessment, career coaches, LinkedIn Learning course access, and more so graduates can reach their full potential in their professional occupation! Note: Some of these resources require an Alumni Association membership.
- Connect with other alumni by joining or starting discussions around what matters most to you through Communities & Clubs on the UM Alumni Association page. Create your profile now and start accessing forums, the alumni directory, UM clubs near you, and affiliate groups. Start searching for fellow Wolverines today across all three campuses!
- The Flint and Genesee Group offers a variety of professional development events and training workshops. The School of Management will cover the entry cost for a variety of professional development workshops and seminars to students and alumni. For more information, contact Anna Swartz, [email protected].
Additional alumni resources and information can be found on the University of Michigan-Flint Alumni Relations website.