That’s when Kopf, with the help of the MSU Alumni Association, or MSUAA, launched remind101, an East Lansing-based company that sends students e-mail and text reminders when exams and homework are near.

Kopf, an agriculture alumnus, said MSUAA has been essential in his efforts to launch his new business.

And he’s not the only recently graduated Spartan receiving a helping hand from those who have been there before. MSUAA has been working nationally and regionally to refocus on engaging young alumni throughout the past year.

“You know when you start a company at 22 or 23 years old, it’s not easy,” Kopf said. “They’ve been so supportive.”

From the very beginning

Although the common perception of alumni association members is of older, wealthier donors to the university, MSUAA officials say involving young alumni has become one of the office’s biggest focuses.

“What happened in the past is that once you graduate, you fall into this black hole for about ten years because you’re so busy out there running your life,” MSUAA Executive Director Scott Westerman said. “It isn’t until about ten years later you realize what an impact the university had on your life. Our job is to stay relevant and connected to people’s lives after they graduate. And there are several ways we’re doing that.”

One of the most important ways MSUAA is working to accomplish this goal is by aiding in career searches, providing interview tips and facilitating networking between young alumni and older graduates, said John Hill, director of alumni career services.

“One of the things we’ve done very well in career services for alumni is teaching people how to help themselves,” Hill said. “Ultimately, we want to be there for our young alumni so that they’re there when we need them. It’s a quid pro quo.”

Westerman said another part of supporting young alumni from graduation onward is helping them settle into new cities across the country by introducing them to new friends and networks. Through a growing number of regional clubs, young alumni are connected to other former MSU students. They can learn how to live independently in a new home through information sessions and workshops led by MSUAA.

“The thing we’re discovering is that young alumni aren’t graduating with the 101 skills,” he said. “Stuff like, ‘Should I buy or rent a house?’ ‘How do I get a mortgage?’ It’s an important part of life, but not taught at MSU.”

Westerman said MSUAA also provides a discount for recent graduates to join. Instead of paying the $45 membership fee, new graduates can sign up for a one-year MSUAA membership for free.

“The last thing they need when they graduate is another bill to pay,” he said.

A global scale

Hill said alumni often forget that being connected to MSUAA means being connected to almost half a million Spartans across the world.

“If you need a friend anywhere in the world or you need an answer to a question, there’s a Spartan that can be there or answer that question,” he said. “That’s what we do. We connect people with the Spartan experts out there who will always pick up and answer when they know there’s a Spartan there at the other end of the line.”

When Jake Lestan graduated this May, he knew he wanted to stay connected and engaged not only with the university, but also with MSUAA. Now a member of the MSUAA National Board of Directors in Chicago, Lestan is eager to liven things up and provide a new perspective in recruiting alumni.

“One of the big things we’re doing is in the advent of social media,” Lestan said. “We’re using that medium to keep Spartans involved. There are some things happening on the national level and hopefully those will start to trickle down into the regional clubs.”

Kelley Bishop, the executive director of MSU Career Services and Placement, said LinkedIn has become an essential tool for MSUAA and the Career Services office in helping young alumni network.

“I’m sure 95 percent of all students on campus have a Facebook,” Bishop said. “They are familiar with having something that represents them in a personal way. One of the cool things about LinkedIn is that it’s really just a professional version of Facebook so to transition is not as much of a leap as it was ten years ago.”

Hill said MSUAA has the fifth largest LinkedIn university group online.

“Social media has added another element that we didn’t expect three or four years ago,” he said. “We’re able to create environments where people are able to help each other out.”

Lestan also said MSUAA is working to let students on campus and recent alumni know that the Alumni Association is a Spartan’s network for life.

“The Alumni Association is an extension of East Lansing, whether you’re in Chicago or China,” he said.

Giving back

One of the most important parts of being a member of the Spartan community is giving back, Kopf said. Kopf himself will make his way back to East Lansing this week to speak about his company as part of a panel at the Earn, Learn, Intern fair.
“I’m in a really interesting position where I can speak to being in (the students’) generation and can speak to starting this company role,” he said. “A lot of students are really interested in that.”

Westerman said MSUAA is primarily interested in staying connected with young alumni such as Kopf.

“People are becoming ultra successful at younger and younger ages,” he said. “It used to be you worked your way up through management and by 40 you were able to give back. Now you’ve got a guy like Brett (Kopf) who has a lot of wisdom to start.
The ability to stay connected has a benefit for them, us and other alumni and undergraduates we’re trying to serve.”

Kopf said his success came down to taking baby steps and having strong support from the university.

“The only way I could have gotten to where I am now is that whole community,” he said.

“The relationship and them believing in us and help make those connection gateways to get to the next level — we couldn’t have done it without them.”