The Elon Black Alumni Network hosted a summit Sept. 17 in the Moseley Center to engage and inform current EBAN members
Members of the Elon Black Alumni Network met on campus Sept. 17 for a summit that highlighted major updates and structural changes within the organization. It also gave alumni the opportunity to provide feedback for future initiatives.
A number of speakers at the summit, including President Leo M. Lambert, shared updates about the university and institutional priorities. EBAN President Cameron B. Davis ’06 described the summit as a “state of the union for our black alumni” and a powerful way to engage and connect graduates within the network.
One of the many initiatives featured at the summit was a new mentorship program designed to pair Elon black alumni with students. Launching this fall, the program encourages personal and professional relationships between students and alumni. The mentorship will be in collaboration with the Center for Racial and Ethnic Diversity Education (CREDE), which strives to create an inclusive campus for underrepresented and historically marginalized racial and ethnic students, faculty and staff.
During his Saturday speech, Davis made sure to included mentorship as a critical focus area. “This year we celebrate our 20th anniversary and the evolution of our affinity group,” he said. “We have three main focus areas: events to connect and socialize with fellow alums; scholarship—to aid in funding a talented black student’s education; and mentorship—to connect our alumni with current students and create a mentorship pipeline for our black juniors and seniors.”
EBAN is no stranger to providing support to Elon’s black community. Since 2011 it has endowed five scholarships to black students who displayed high financial need and high scholastic achievement.
For EBAN members, there are more Elon events to look forward to this fall. The group is celebrating its 20th reunion at Homecoming and has planned a full weekend of events Oct. 21 and 22. To register or see events taking place during Homecoming, please visit the Homecoming website.
The Elon Black Alumni Network is an official affinity network under the Office of Alumni Engagement. EBAN’s purpose is to build, maintain and sustain collaborative relationships with black alumni through social events, networking and philanthropic purposes impacting current and future Elon students. For more information about the group, contact Deidra Smith, assistant director of alumni engagement, at dsmith79@elon.edu.