Fall 2020 Plans and Alumni Engagement Opportunities

This fall will be unique for all Raikes School students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Within the Raikes School, students will take most classes in the Great Hall to adhere to physical distancing requirements. We’re thankful to have this large space to retain classes in the Kauffman Center while students continue to live, mostly as normal, on the second and third floors. Dining halls will have increased takeout options and staff will serve food rather than allowing self-service. All community members will wear face coverings and hand sanitizing stations will be spread throughout Kauffman and Nebraska’s campus.

We also hope to continue offering important events for our students and alumni, while keeping the health and safety of all in our community as our top priority. The following are ways we hope you will get involved, as you are able.

Career Fair

The Raikes School Virtual Career Fair will be held on Tuesday, September 22. Registration will open the week of July 20. If you or your company are interested in hiring our students for internships or fulltime positions, we hope you will register! Partner employers should have received a save the date in mid-June. If you want to be added to our invitation list, contact Kylie Penner, our Events and Project Coordinator at kpenner2@unl.edu. For more information visit https://raikes.unl.edu/careerfair

Alumni Reunion

The annual Raikes School Alumni Reunion will take place on Friday, October 9. The homecoming football game against the University of Illinois is scheduled for Saturday, October 10. We hope to host the reunion in-person in some capacity, but due to COVID-19, we will offer virtual options if necessary. This year’s reunion will specially honor cohorts 2011 (2015 graduates), 2006 (2010 graduates), and 2001 (2005 graduates) in their 5, 10, and 15-year graduation anniversaries. Please mark this date on your calendars and watch your email for more event registration information. 

RAIK 40

The Raikes School is entering its third year of offering RAIK 40, a senior seminar focused on preparing soon-to-be alumni for life outside of Kauffman and college. A consistent theme in student feedback the past two years is that students enjoy learning from alumni because they can connect most with your experiences and life lessons. Last year, many of you shared your time and expertise with our students. A special shout out to:

  • Kyle Deterding, Cohort 2005
  • Brendan Gallo, Cohort 2013
  • Ryan Long, Cohort 2013
  • Michael Hollman, Cohort 2012
  • Hanna Rogoz, Cohort 2013
  • Cameron Maciejewski, Cohort 2012
  • Daric Teske, Cohort 2014
  • Jake Sanchez, Cohort 2013
  • Rachael Dahlman, Cohort 2012
  • Rebecca Dahlman, Cohort 2013
  • Austin Wendt, Cohort 2013
  • David Socha, Cohort 2013
  • Rachel Sutcliffe, Cohort 2013
  • Jay Michels, Cohort 2012
  • Maggie Witzenburg, Cohort 2014
  • Matthew Munger, Cohort 2008

We hope to involve even more alumni this fall through presentations and panel discussions. We are particularly looking for alumni to host the following sessions:

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  • Managing Conflict in the Workplace

Presenters will have the option to join us in-person or via Zoom.

If you are interested in helping us prepare our seniors for adulthood in the two areas listed above, please contact Anna Pressler at anna.pressler@unl.edu. Additionally, if you have ideas about topics we should include, let us know! We hope to have dates and sessions assigned to volunteering alumni by Friday, July 31.