By Tash Kovacs ’16, Guest Writer
The support, camaraderie, and networking opportunities made possible by TIAA have, in my experience, been absolutely incredible. Joining TIAA has given me direct access to diverse and bright Alumni members who better than anyone fundamentally understand the value and ‘mystique’ that T-birds bring to the table.
As a TIAA Scholar and member, I have had the opportunity to meet and connect with a fascinating group of TIAA members with a sincere desire to make themselves available to, and help out, fellow members. The TIAA is dedicated to preserving and promoting the Thunderbird brand, and I think most of us could agree that the concept of representing the school in a favorable light and maintaining its global appeal is ultimately beneficial us to all.
It was apparent from the get-go as a member that the TIAA has a sincere interest in seeing that its members are successful. Members are readily willing to connect each other with people in their network that are in industries of interest. The TIAA puts on a number of events throughout the year and around the world, including, occasionally, at the Thunderbird Pub on campus. I have made some great connections both in the renewable energy sector, where my career interests lie, and in the general alumni community at these events, most of which were only made possible by the generosity, coordination, and efforts of the TIAA.
Although the TIAA is an alumni association, it views current students as among the most important of its members: future alumni who will carry the torch of the Thunderbird Mystique on into the future. To that end, free current student membership comes with, among others, the following benefits:
- Access to professional development events like monthly webinars
- Placement of your resume in the Fall and Spring TIAA resume books, which are distributed to all vested members at the end of each semester
- Access to alumni news and goings-on through its weekly newsletter and other communications
- Heavily-discounted rates to attend its twice-yearly business summits, as well as other special domestic and international events, like the upcoming Fall Business Summit in Panama, to be held September 22 & 23
- Notification of all recruiting events held independently and in conjunction with the CMC
- Further exposure to the alumni community through TIAA communications; the team will select two students per month to be spotlighted in its weekly newsletter…just submit a 150-200-word bio and professional photograph for the opportunity to be selected!
- Access to a database of all TIAA members searchable by name, location, and industry
- Full access to the TIAA’s library of all professional development webinars and videos from past conferences and events, including those from the upcoming Spring Business Summit in Paris
After graduation, Current Students are permitted to retain their complimentary membership for three months. After this period, they may upgrade to a Recent Graduate membership for an additional year for the price of their graduation year. For 2017 grads, that means $20.17! The TIAA is growing and expanding rapidly and there’s never been a better time to join than now!
To sign up, simply visit the TIAA website here, click “Join” in the top-right corner, select “Current Student” as your membership level, and follow the prompts to create your profile.
In short, the TIAA has been incredibly supportive of and generous to me, and I am proud to be an active member. The organization is encouraging of your business objectives, serves a conduit between like-minded alumni, and is a great all-around advocate for the Thunderbird brand. What are you waiting for??
If you have any further questions or comments, please contact Operations Manager Jake Strickler at jstrickler@tiaaglobal.org
