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President Letter 2007

Dear Alumnae and Alumni,

This past year has moved our hearts. There were happy births, joyous weddings, and sadly, a few who passed away. Careers changed, goals were rewritten, and lives were reassessed. In times of triumph and trial, it is our community of family and friends that we count on. Last year, more than ever, I felt the strength of the Cornell Club membership. Connected by our common history, our lives are enriched by the people we meet through the club. In the coming year we aim to further expand and strengthen these important bonds between us.

Recently, we've made a special effort to hold more child-friendly events. The response has been overwhelming. This year we'll create more opportunities for young parents to chat and trade tips while the kids are at play.

As tuition reaches $40,000/year, the amount of financial aid needed by Austin and Central Texas area Cornell students pushed past $800,000 last year. We have long dreamed of helping the next generation of Cornellians. Now, there is a way. Through the generosity of Wendi '82 and Brian Kushner '78, MS '80, PhD '84, the Cornell Club is helping to endow a scholarship for local students to attend Cornell. Every dollar that we raise will be matched by the Kushners until we reach Cornell's required $50,000 to begin an endowment.

On October 4th we will kick-off the Cornell Club of Austin Scholarship effort with a dessert reception at the Kushner's home. I hope to see you all there. Please consider donating to the cause. I know students are grateful for any help you can afford. Contact Jennifer Loew at scholarship@cornellclubaustin.org for more information. The sooner we reach our target, the sooner we can start awarding scholarships.

In past months, we worked to expand our ties to other Ivy+ and Seven Sisters clubs. From happy hours to the Shakespeare performance in the replica Globe Theatre and our annual Ivy+ Holiday Party, the effort gives back to us with each new friend and contact we make at these events. We look forward to continuing to grow our relationships with these groups during joint events this year.

Please review our list of upcoming activities in this mailing. Again, we have so many events there isn't room enough to include them all here. To keep up with our ever growing offerings and stay informed of changes, please join our e-mail list at http://austin.alumni.cornell.edu. We will send you full event descriptions as well as monthly summaries of upcoming activities.

Also, please make time to check your membership status by emailing membership@cornellclubaustin.org. With our busy lives, it's easy for little things to slip. Recently, I was embarrassed to find that my own membership had expired this June. Aside from discounts at events, your membership dues help us carry out charity work, send-off incoming freshmen, and pay for the infrastructure we use to communicate with members and host our events.

Thank you to all our board members and event organizers for your hard work this past year. We are especially grateful to Greg Cribbs and Oscar Ramirez who are retiring from the board after many years of dedication.

Judging from our upcoming events, we have an active Fall planned. I hope you too will participate in and benefit from your involvement in the Cornell Club this year as we strengthen and grow our group.

Sincerely,

Nicole Blair '96
President, Cornell Club of Austin