A new year, a new beginning
29 December 2011
As every year draws to a close, I'm always prompted to think back over the last 12 months and indeed longer and ponder the events that have led me to where I am. Friends I have made, things I have done, people I have lost contact with.
Sometimes we just have to let these vanish into history and become firmly part of our past - but every so often we get a chance to reconnect with that past and view it with fresh eyes.
That's very much been the case for me in the last year, becoming President of NTU Alumni has given me a real chance to reconnect with the University and with the city and that has been hugely rewarding. When something as important as those crucial three years starts to become ancient history, it's hard to imagine what life was like. Reconnecting has allowed me to feel the excitement of university life once again, to see the expectation and sheer determination of the current undergraduates and to sense the pride of graduation day.
That is something you can do too. By being an active part of the Alumni Association you can be a real part of NTU. You can contribute financially, however small, to help current students get the very best facilities and you can help us by letting us know where you live and who you work for. That all helps show how well NTU has done over the years and it's vital for us to keep track of all this information.
Most importantly though you can reconnect with your old friends, maybe organise a reunion, or just find out who's got married, who's got children and who is doing what at the start of 2012.
It's a new year and the best opportunity to make a new start in connecting with NTU. Your information is confidential so there's no worries about that, but whatever you're doing, rejoin this family so that we can all share, and celebrate, in each other's success.
Wishing you all the very best for a happy, prosperous and peaceful 2012.
Stephen