The Fuller Experience: It Doesn't End with Graduation

By Dan Draney (PhD '96, MDiv '87)

If you are reading this, you are probably someone who feels a connection to Fuller. In talking to folks over the last six years, I have discovered there are different reasons alumni stay connected to the seminary. Some maintain a loose affiliation because Fuller is a way of identifying their religious orientation: "I'm an evangelical open to contemporary cultural influences." Others feel nostalgia for the carefree life of a student, when we could think and reflect on big ideas without the daily pressures of organizational politics. Still others value the benefits of relationships with other like-minded folks in Fuller's world community. Finally, there are many who, years after graduation, continue to draw on Fuller's depth of resources through the tangible benefits of distance learning and continuing education courses.

Whatever your reason for staying connected, the bottom line is that you feel there is value in it. Understanding the value a connection to Fuller offers is vital to a growing and healthy network of alumni around the world. We on the Alumni Council have received lots of good input over the years on why alumni stay connected. But the biggest challenge is still this: getting the word out to more alumni that the Fuller experience doesn't have to end on graduation day!

With our global digital culture, the notion of networked community life is taking on new dimensions that few of us imagined just five years ago. As just one example, I encourage you to sign up for an account at Fuller's library webpage and take a look at the databases you can access from anywhere in the world. It's amazing!

Through your own networks, I hope you will let others know what a continuing connection to Fuller means to you.