Attend Homecoming 2010

Attend Homecoming 2010

It’s already October! Time flies, and for many of our current learners it means their Matric exam finals are almost here… We wish every Grade 12 learner luck in their exams and hope for great results early next year. For a number of our alumni, their year-end final exams are also nearing and we wish them, too, the very best in their endeavours. This October is especially interesting as the Tsogo Alumni Society hosts their first Alumni Homecoming, which is the focus of this editorial.

Homecoming 2010

Alumni Homecoming 2010 is  an event for alumni to get back together, network, work and simultaneously express their support by giving back to Tsogo. Our theme for 2010 is School Renovation, but we envision a much broader scope for the Homecoming event in future. Some ideas that have been listed are:

  • Cleaning / renovating our school premises
  • Fundraisers
  • Sports
  • Cultural events
  • Assisting Mmakau & neighbouring communities

Some alumni have asked why their presence at Homecoming 2010 important. I will list a number of reasons why such events should be supported by the alumni. First, it enables us to give back to our alma mater. A number of alumni have great ideas that can be implemented to improve the school premises and surrounding areas. Our involvement can and will make an impact. This is about much more than  just donating money: it is an emphatic/tangible/concrete expression of solidarity —by having a presence. Second, this not only facilitates our getting back in touch with former classmates, but also allows us to meet other alumni. So much can happen through interaction between alumni, especially those whose study years at Tsogo did not overlap, and who yet share a common bond as Tsogo alums. Networking with alums other than just our classmates can be very rewarding. We encourage alumni to contact each other and network through our different services (LinkedIn, Facebook, Email lists). Tsogo alumni encompass a phenomenal amount of depth and breadth in terms of experience. Getting to know another alum (even if s/he was not in your class) and networking with him/her can lead to great benefits, for example:

  • There might be an alum who works at a company you are interested in and can give you information and advice on that company.
  • One might want to start a business in a specific sector in which another alum has experience and, thus, sharing information and experience could make one’s planning easier or informed.
  • There are a number of alumni who work on different community projects and could use that extra help to keep their projects going. Having an extensive network of Tsogo Alumni could make this a much easier affair.

These are just a fraction of the opportunities offered by events such as Homecoming 2010. Its success depends primarily on alumni choosing to participate and use these opportunities for interaction to their and other people’s benefit. We have tried through our Alumni Profile Series to highlight what alumni are doing and also to build a platform for them to share their experiences. Several messages from alumni have already been published on our website, and we hope more of you will send in updates on your activities.

The opportunities are endless and their success will depend on your participation, contribution, willingness to share and also learn. We encourage all alumni to come to the Homecoming Event and help in shaping the next phase of the Tsogo Alumni Society. Take this as an opportunity to reconnect with old classmates by inviting your classmates through email, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. Take this as an opportunity to connect and meet new people as you share your experiences. Take this as an opportunity to go back to Mmakau and help in building a better school. Finally, take this as an opportunity to start something new and shape your own future.

What’s coming up this month on the website

Take a look at the first of our new Alumni Profiles for October: Botlhale Mabatshidi Nong (Tsogo 1986). You can also look forward to profiles of

  • Joan Legalamitlwa (Tsogo 1997)
  • Thurston Sebotsane (Tsogo 1991)

that will be published later in the month. If you would like to nominate someone or want to share your profile with us please fill in the Nomination Page.

If you have new contact details or have not filled in your details with us, please fill in our contact update form so that we have your latest information on file. It helps us in compiling our alumni database. Go here: http://bit.ly/aBZrcz Pass on the link to others.

Thank you to all who made this month’s update possible.
Vukosi Marivate – My Profile