The Florida A&M University Student National Alumni Association (SNAA) met with students Wednesday, Sept. 28 to help towards their goal of bridging the gap between students and alumni.
Led by Kier Riley, a senior health care management student, the SNAA’s mission is to build strong relationships that will result in a family-like bond and success between current students and alumni at FAMU.
“The plan is to definitely host different events with the Leon County Chapter of the National Alumni Association and staying on top of the relationship because sometimes communication lines can get lost between students and alumni,” said Riley.
SNAA is a branch of FAMU’s National Alumni Association who serves the university by promoting image building, student recruitment, fundraising, governmental affairs and other dealings imperative to sustaining the welfare of the university. The National Alumni Association helps fund the student association which is predominantly student funded. SNAA has events around campus and mixers with the alumni association, located in Tallahassee, to ensure the relationship between the two associations.
Student members of the association receive the perks of having an alumni family to turn to in times of need. They offer scholarships, travel help, emergency funding, guidance, and potential job opportunities.
FAMU alumni are expected to give back, and SNAA gives them a direct platform to do so through the students in the association. Recently the National Alumni Association has offered scholarships to assist students in SNAA with Summer and Fall tuition. “One of our students, Michael Davis, recently received a scholarship for summer school, so you see they are ready and eager to help ,” said Lamondrea Harp, vice president of SNAA at FAMU.
Students look forward to reaping the opportunities offered by the SNAA.
Wisler Elias, a senior music education student, hopes to gain a larger body to network with and to be provided with the opportunity to meet the people who made an immediate change in student life on campus. “What I expect to gain from the Student National Alumni Association this year is a larger body to network with because they do continue to provide us with support throughout the year and this gives me a way to meet them,” said Elias.
For updates on events and information on SNAA, follow their Instagram page @famusnaa1887.