Student Profiles
Ami Schaefer
Heather and Ami Schaefer
Parent Gives Thanks to Student Organization
My daughter, Heather Schaefer, BS’10, benefited greatly from her involvement in the IU Student Alumni Association. From preschool to high school graduation, she attended school at one of the smallest schools in the state of Indiana. Heather excelled academically and was very involved in school activities and government. She was a big fish in a small pond.
Heather seemed a bit lost her first semester at IU Bloomington, and I wondered if she would stay. She looked into several campus organizations, but did not find anything that seemed a good fit for her. Heather got involved in the Student Alumni Association the second semester of her freshman year, and she just continued to grow and blossom from that point forward. She became an officer in SAA and was president of SAA her senior year.
The Alumni Association gave Heather a sense of community and a network of friends. Through the Alumni Association, she made connections with people she would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. Heather graduated in the top 5 percent from the Kelley School of Business, was Homecoming queen her senior year, and was active in the Kelley School of Business Student Business Ambassador Program. She was one of the founders of the Nearly Naked Mile, a philanthropic event that makes a difference within the community. This is an event that continues on as a part of Homecoming Week, and is something she can look back on with pride in years to come. This was all made possible by the network of students, campus staff, and businesspeople she met through the Alumni Association.
Being involved in the IU Alumni Association gave Heather the connections and the confidence to excel academically, professionally, and personally. As she has moved into her career and life after graduation, the leadership skills she achieved through her work with SAA have been of immeasurable value. SAA prepared her to work with new, diverse people, and be part of a team. SAA gives students the tools and support to excel during their time at IU and beyond. Even a small fish in a big pond can make a splash with the support and guidance of the IU Student Alumni Association.
Since graduation, Heather has moved to the Northeast, where she knows no one and is once again a small fish in a big pond. Even now, far away from home and IU, the IU Alumni Association is providing her a sense of community and a network of IU alumni to help her through the local chapter. Getting involved with the IU Student Alumni Association is one of the wisest decisions Heather has made. I am very proud of her and thankful to the Alumni Association for the opportunities and support it continues to provide.
