Do One Thing! MAPP Alumni Board President’s 2022 Letter

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“The gift of service leads to a life of love” Mary White

Welcome to a great 2022 in the MAPP Alumni Association!  I am looking forward to an exciting year with new programs and opportunities that speak to the many passions of our 600+ alumni around the world, and create high-quality connections within our community and with those we serve.

We maintain our vibrant community through the volunteer efforts of alumni who give their time and talent to our great organization, year after year.  Many of our individual services and initiatives are made possible due to the efforts of a single MAPP alum.  The community grows accustomed to and familiar with programs and resources without recognizing and supporting the effort it takes to serve our growing community. Sharing the responsibility for making programs happen also reduces burnout that can occur when one person does it all.

The board would like to step up to this challenge, working from both directions, resulting in greater connection and collaboration with YOU!

Imagine what we could accomplish if we EACH made a commitment, built a new habit, to DO ONE THING for the greater good of the community?  How might you best use your particular strengths in an ongoing project or a new project? How might you learn and grow by participating in different initiatives each year?  What positive impact might that have on your work?  What new and valued connections might you make? What meaning will you create through your contributions?

Engagement of all alumni allows us to:

  • GROW and EVOLVE MAPP Programs

  • Foster VIBRANT and DYNAMIC leadership as we grow

  • Incorporate all alumni PASSIONS and new IDEAS 

  • …and ENHANCE our outcomes!

We also know it can be hard to find your ‘thing’ in the alumni association.  How do you even start?  Perhaps you stepped away to get a PhD or care for a family member and you are looking for somewhere to jump in.

From the outside looking in, you might think all the seats are taken...

Photo by Manki Kim on Unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/ABxVTtK-guA

But from the inside, it’s a different picture…

Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash, https://unsplash.com/photos/gzhyKEo_cbU

I know many of you are now thinking, “Where do I find this ‘one thing’?”  The board is committed more than ever to bring greater visibility to alumni programs and opportunities within the community.  Opportunities are posted in our “UPenn MAPP Alumni & Friends” private Facebook Group, in the weekly Newsbriefs that you receive by email, and “coming soon” to a new Slack channel.  Looking for more personal service?  Your class representatives are the superhighway to information about what is happening in the organization and within the board.  Who are your class reps? Look them up here:  https://mappalum.org/Class-reps

So, I would ask each of you, in the course of the next month, to identify and commit to what you will DO this year to contribute to our amazing MAPP community.  It’s wonderful to have such a high level of participation in our programs.  What I am asking, though, is what will you DO for others?  What’s your ONE thing? Let us know!

I am hopeful to be with you all – somewhere, somehow – in 2022.  

Wishing you all the best for an amazing 2022,

Katie

Katie Snyder (C'13) is an executive coach and consultant who collaborates with management teams to reach new levels of performance in resilience, strategy and the bottom line. She has delivered creative and transformative results for clients by working at the unique intersection of positive psychology and business. She is the 2021-2022 President of the MAPP Alumni Association.

Learn more about Katie at https://www.katiemsnyder.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiesnyder/