"Reflecting years of rapid institutional growth, approximately half of UC Riverside’s 136,000, primarily first-gen alumni graduated within the last decade. To help facilitate our alumni-focused content strategy, volunteer recruitment, and donor pipeline building efforts, our University Communications team led a collaborative cross-unit, campus-wide effort to recognize 40 innovative, early career alumni under the age of 40 through an innovative storytelling initiative.
Our goals were to identify, cultivate, engage, and celebrate accomplished, early-career UCR alumni in a variety of professional fields to help build overall institutional pride, facilitate peer nominations and self-identification of alumni leaders, innovators, and influencers, identify/recruit potential alumni speakers and career network mentor volunteers, build our prospective donor pool, and enhance our “Bold Hearts. Brilliant Minds.” brand campaign storytelling content.
The resulting magazine feature and supplemental digital assets beautifully illustrate/amplify how UCR’s top-ranked education has given rise to a diverse community of bold, innovative trail blazers, helping to build our reputation as a transformative leader in higher education, creating a deep resource of compelling stories that support myriad brand, fundraising, and student recruitment efforts, and inspiring pride in our next generation of exceptional students and alumni."
From the Judges
This entry provides a good example of how one storytelling initiative can be amplified in different units at the university if a plan is well-organized, well-designed and communicated clearly. Lots of clear wins from this project that can be continued for many years to come. Bright, dynamic and effective storytelling relevant to its intended audience.
