To help Brigham Young University students and alumni better understand the benefits of BYU Connect, the university’s official networking and mentoring platform, BYU Student Alumni spearheaded the inaugural BYU Connectathon, as well as the BYU Connect Ambassador program. During the two-week BYU Connectathon campaign, BYU students participated in the initiative by completing a simple 5-Step Challenge, which included following the BYU Connect Instagram account, signing up for the mentoring platform, setting up a profile, reaching out to an alum and having a conversation, and submitting evidence of completion through a survey. The students who participated were entered to win one of three substantial prizes. Through our efforts, we had 372 new students and 62 alumni join the platform during the two weeks. Students made 327 connections with alumni, which was a 700% increase in connections made from the previous two-week period. We received positive feedback from students and alumni about their experiences through our post-event surveys. Because of their experiences and the increased usage of the platform, BYU students were able to learn and understand the power and depth of the alumni network available to them.
From the Judges
Making connections and building your professional network is difficult; this idea attempted to make it easier. Getting alumni to engage with students helps keep the cost down and makes its easy to replicate.
