If strong and dedicated leadership is a requirement for a successful alumni chapter, then the Vaal Alumni Chapter of the North-West University (NWU) is off to a great start.

The chapter recently announced its leadership structure for the 2020/2021 term and it is clear that the elected team of ten alumni is eager to make their impact felt. Heading up the team is Innocentia Mphuthi, and serving alongside her in the position of deputy chairperson is Morena Tsotetsi.

The following alumni constitute the remainder of the ten-member team:

Projects and Logistics	Refiloe Dingalo Tears Mokoena
Finance and Fundraising	Lerato Mofokeng Naledi Thanjekwayo
Marketing and Communication	Koliki Nhlapo Akhona Dalasile
Legal and Compliance	Mega Tebakang Katlego Maetane

 

According to Innocentia, she is very excited about the prospect of working alongside her leadership committee to initiate, plan and promote a variety of activities that will appeal to the campus’s alumni and friends in the chapter area. “The infusion of new leaders is critical if a chapter is to remain vital and represent all alumni in the chapter,” explains Innocentia.

Asked how the chapter came into being, Morena explains that initially a group of friends got together annually to celebrate friendship and to reminisce about their days as university students at the Vanderbijlpark Campus. However, it soon became evident that there was a lot of interest from fellow alumni, and nine years ago the NWU Vaal Young Alumni group was established.

A busy year ahead

This year, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the chapter will not gather on the green banks of their alma mater to celebrate, but will rather embrace the new normal by hosting a virtual reunion. According to Morena, the committee is hard at work to make sure that everything is ready and that the year will not go by without a get-together.

Areas of focus for the chapter include fundraising to support the NWU’s Covid-19 Relief Fund, addressing the unemployment of young graduates, and the promotion of entrepreneurship.

If you would like to join the chapter, send an email to Innocentia.Mphuthi@nwu.ac.za or morena.tsotetsi1@gmail.com. Alternatively, you can connect with them via Facebook.