As a new college graduate, Tricia (Abraham) Christensen ’98, ’99 stayed connected to Pacific by attending athletic games and engaging with her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. She valued that connection over the years as she built a family and a career. 

Today, Christensen is helping a new generation of alumni keep connected. During Pacific Gives she’ll match the first $5,000 in gifts to the Young Alumni Engagement Fund, a new resource for alumni within 10 years of graduation. 

The fund will allow the Pacific Alumni Association (PAA) to offer discounted event pricing for recent graduates while designing programs tailored to their needs and interests.

“We’re supporting the transition after graduation,” Christensen, a member of the PAA Board of Directors, explained. 

“As students become alumni, they go from being heavily engaged on campus to navigating new jobs, new homes, new routines, new ways of life. We want to help them stay connected to Pacific and take advantage of the professional network, mentorship and resources that will help them navigate these milestones with confidence.”

Across higher education, colleges and universities report significant gaps between graduation and peak engagement by alumni. Pacific is working to bridge that gap by reducing the financial and logistical barriers to event participation. 

The Young Alumni Engagement Fund will subsidize registration fees for Homecoming, regional gatherings and other alumni activities, reducing cost as a barrier for recent graduates. 

Christensen and the PAA Board want to encourage alumni to get involved early, rather than waiting decades to re-establish a connection with Pacific. 

“It comes up in almost every meeting that we should get more young alumni involved in our activities. This feels like a natural way of making that possible,” she said.  

Along with making events more accessible, the Office of Alumni Relations is building a Young Alumni Council that will collaborate on programming for recent graduates, with a focus on professional networking, mentorship and social connectivity. 

“We want young alumni to be part of these activities, to be in our circle, and this inclusivity is also strategic—we hope they’ll feel supported as Pacific alums and become our future alumni leaders,” Christensen said. 

“I see this fund as an investment in the future of alumni engagement,” she added. “That’s why I chose it as the opportunity for my match this year. I hope others will join me!”

To learn more about the Young Alumni Council, contact Marco Federighi, assistant director for alumni engagement, at 209.891.2030 or mfederighi@pacific.edu. 

SAVE THE DATE! Pacific Gives returns April 21-22, with early giving starting March 31.