Nicholas School Alumni Council member Kim Cesafsky (MEM/MF’14) recently shared her thoughts on Nicholas School’s Reunion Weekend.
What have you enjoyed about Reunion Weekend in year’s past?
Reunion is a good opportunity to reconnect with the Nic school. In years past, I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with old classmates and Nicholas faculty and staff, checking out the new facilities, receiving updates from the Dean on the state of the school, and meeting current students and fellow alumni.
In particular, what was your favorite part of Reunion Weekend last year?
My favorite part of last year’s reunion was the panel discussion with current students and alumni. In particular, it was great to hear about the growing focus on diversity and inclusion. Increasing efforts to foster diversity and to better appreciate the wide range of backgrounds and cultures in the Nicholas community is important and aligns perfectly with the school’s mission to prepare students to go on and make meaningful progress towards addressing environmental issues that affect all peoples. It was really inspiring to see that current students are pushing the school to make this a priority.
Why do you think attending Reunion Weekend is important for NSOE alums?
I appreciate the opportunity to reconnect with the school and my former classmates, but frankly, I attend reunion and remain involved in the Nicholas community because it’s valuable to me personally. Reunion weekend provides a great opportunity for networking and also to learn about and give feedback on the Nicholas School’s direction. As a graduate, the school’s public perception is important to my career.
What are you most looking forward to on this year’s schedule of events?
Definitely the picnic on Saturday. I have a lot of nostalgia for Friday afternoon Forem kegs and relish any opportunity to enjoy a beer with fellow Nic schoolers. 🙂
What would you say to any alums that are on the fence about attending Reunion Weekend this year?
You should definitely make an effort to come (especially those 2013 grads who were in my cohort)! Duke’s campus and the city of Durham have changed a lot over the past few years. Plus, it’s the perfect time for alumni to get involved as the school prepares for the start of Dean Steelman’s tenure.
Reunion Weekend is next weekend, April 13-14th. For more information and to register, click here!
