In August 2017, the Winona State University Alumni Office launched the Warrior Neighbors program, a network of alumni across the country who have agreed to be resources for others visiting or moving to their city. So far, 66 alumni have signed up to be a neighbor to fellow Warriors.
“The Warrior Neighbors program allows our alumni to be neighbors without having to be right here in Winona,” says Tracy Hale, associate director of alumni relations. “If our alumni are going to be visiting or moving to a city where we have a self-identified neighbor, they can simply email that individual for more information.”
The project has been a work in progress, taking time to find the right type of mapping software and getting everything up and running. The end result is an easy to use service for Winona State alumni – simply go to the online map, find a flaming W icon over the city you are traveling to, and scroll over the icon to find a name and email address for a Warrior Neighbor. There’s even a link provided to email your chosen neighbor directly from the map.
“Warrior Neighbors is a way for our alumni to stay connected to Winona State,” says Hale. “They may not be able to make it to our events or stay engaged in other ways. This is a way for them to not only have a level of connectivity, but to lend a helping hand to another Warrior.”
For more information, to locate a Warrior Neighbor, or to sign up as a neighbor yourself, visit wsu.mn/warrior-neighbors.
