How many times have you thought about where a former classmate was or what he/she is doing, but didn’t have any way to contact them?

Whether you’ve been away from Albright for one, five, 15 or more than 50 years, you now have the opportunity to reacquaint yourself with those long, lost friends, and even the College itself.

A-Space, an online forum for Albright alumni, is now available to support connections, networking and information sharing. I am truly excited about this opportunity as it provides a convenient way to reconnect with the College and with old friends . . . and even benefits us in our lives today.

A lot of where we are and what we do in life is based on the relationships that we develop, nurture and cherish as we traverse the years. I know my Albright years were some of the best for relationship- building, but unfortunately, due to the demands of our time and the different directions we take, I have lost touch with so many people that were quite close to me during those four years. And for me, because I worked at Albright for four years after graduation, my circle of contacts spans multiple years.

I thoroughly enjoy what The Albright Reporter provides today, but I must admit, the first section I immediately flip to is Class Notes to find out what those alumni around my year(s) are now doing. In reading that, I often wish I could have a conversation to catch up even more and learn about their interesting pursuits.

Now, with A-Space, I can do just that, assuming they “accept” my invitation to chat. And, I can do it in a timeframe that is much more conducive to when and how I personally communicate. Now that I’ve joined A-Space, one of my goals is to reconnect with as many friends as I can just to say, “Hi, how are you? How has life treated you over the years?”

I realize that not everyone has a computer or is comfortable using one, and I can appreciate and respect that. Although, with Internet and computer access and training available at public libraries, Internet cafes, retirement and senior living environments, it’s hard NOT to have some interest and exposure to connecting with others online.

For those who are comfortable communicating in cyberspace, I encourage you to stop by A-Space, get reacquainted with some familiar names and faces, send an electronic postcard, check out Class Notes, communicate and network, and see
what’s going on at Albright today.

Although coming back to campus for a reunion or other event is always nice, travel and life commitments don’t always support that flexibility. A-Space, on the other hand, is the perfect vehicle to allow alumni to “come back” to Albright on any day, at any time. The virtual campus and community is always open, always safe and always personal. Who knows . . . maybe even new relationships can be developed as well.

I look forward to seeing the A-Space community grow among Albright alumni, and I know I will personally be looking to expand my own A-Space community. For me, the importance and value of relationships are truly the core of what defines us
all, as they allow us to grow and share with each other.

With A-Space, Albright has provided alumni with the perfect vehicle to build or rebuild relationships with friends from years gone by and to develop new relationships that can support us in our careers and lives today. I hope to see you online!

Tom Chaves ’85 is president elect
of the Albright College Alumni
Association. Most recently, he was
employed as general manager
of Sungard Higher Education in
Malvern, Pa.