Alumni Networking

Ana María Zermeñoooo???, Whats up?, Do you remember me? It's been a while!!!! It's a pleasure to find you again!!!!

Have you find someone you met when you were younger? and then one recognize the other and then after the "initial greetings", you hug, then ask a lot of questions, and then you found yourself wanting to meet again with your friend? For me it's something that happens quite frequently, so this post it's dedicated to those furtive encounters and how to work them.

I was at a coffee house with a group of friends, and next to us Kathy sat down, she was my basic school friend. She recognized me, at my point of view I haven't changed a lot on this 30 years, and she reached me and asked if I was Ana Maria Zermeño and when I see her face, I remember her from back before. The best of this encounter was our conversation:

K: Do you remember Silvia Mirthala?
A: Of course, the three of us were best friends.
K: Well I reach her the past week at the supermarket and now I have her contact, you know, phone, email. This can't be random, we have to get together, when are you available?
A: For my friends, always.
K: Please phone me to my mobile, this way I keep your contact and send you a message.

On the following half an hour, we had a Whatsapp group and the meeting was planned for the next day. This is the way you demonstrate your friends that you are always available for them. In this group we asked, smoke? drink?... so we decided the place were the meeting had to be, a bar with smoking area, this reunion will be long. 

Silvia, Kathy and Me

As you may imagine, the happiness we had when we met together, we didn't have enough time to speak and listen, it was 30 years since our last party and as if it was yesterday, we had a lot of things to share. We didn't finish on the next following 4 hours, so we planned the next meeting. For real we will continue the next reunion.

An interesting part of this event were the professional comments we share, each one explained the personal professional experience, Silvia is an event planner, conferences, seminars. Kathy is an official translator and for 25 years was an entrepreneur. Me, I'm into the academic profession. We find out some coincidences and we intend to look for some other opportunities to work together. The time will say. 

So I will share some basic thoughts on your alumni reunion:

1.- If you recognize someone, do not hesitate on reach her, by sure she will be thankful on this recognition and maybe thank also the detail.
2.- Make things happen, as soon as possible seize the opportunity, if there's been a while, have disposition and relaxation.
3.- Remember is to live again, try to meet on some more events, try to remember the good times and have fun.

Student Networking

Miss...please... give me that extra point and I promise that I would never be in this type of trouble. I swear that the next period, I really get into my studies.

Somehow this situation has been always commented, never lived, when you get to the last day of classes and realize that you need just 1 point to pass your course, or when you realize that your student is missing that point for not failing.

1992 was the year when my friend "Juan" checked the final notes of his Advanced Writing group. One of his students, "Pepe", had taken this course for the second time, although he was a brilliant kid in many aspects, we had a lot of trouble with the spelling. He was the kind that write: "sealing" or "no a fence". So you will understand why this course was really a headache for him.

Dumbledore by Limone02

The final note check day Juan realized Pepe was missing 2 points to pass the course. He will have to retake again the course and skip a summer internship. Juan never agreed with Pepe anything, but at the end he passed the course.

A few years later in 1997, Juan and his friends went to Cancun for a summer vacation. When they get to the hotel, it was not secured and they were told that the hotel has no room availability and they will have to try to get another hotel. As you may imagine, Juan and his friends were pretty much upset, but also worried because this search process will affect their vacation budget.

Presidential Suite

While trying to get another hotel reservation, they stayed at the lobby for about 30 minutes, and eventually the concierge approach to the group and ask to speak with Juan, he also take him to the counter. The lady told him that she was really sorry about the situation and that from that moment, until their left time, they shall not have any more troubles, that they will be assigned to the Presidential suite, on the original agreed rate, and immediately were taken to their suite.

When arriving to the room, they find a big complementary fruit basket, a manager disposition and a note that say:

"In appreciation to my avansed gruaiting teacher (sic)."

So the following are my recommendations:

1.- Check and recheck  your student grades, probably will take you to the presidential suite at a 5 star hotel in Cancun.
2.- Give support without expecting something in return, probably will take you to the presidential suite at a 5 star hotel in Cancun.
3.- Keep in touch with the people you have "touched" in your life, probably will take you to the presidential suite at a 5 star hotel in Cancun.

Team Networking

Soccer match at 5:00pm, at the end of the city, my kids are at school and I can't get out of the office, what should I do?, Easy: Networking.

At the beginning of the academic year, my kids chose to participate with the Soccer team, that means I should take them to every match they had. This make me realize that the logistics needed where from easy to top notch, thanks to many new developed skills, today mom's are really good planners, so I can tell you about my experience.

Once the team was registered, Lucy organized a whats app group, she send out the information on the kids and moms. Then it was easy to cover the "meal" for each match, just follow the list, and when it ended, we started again.

When the tournaments begin, the school sent the location, and we realized that some of the courts were far far far away, and for some of us it will be difficult to take the kids to each match. Then Zazyl bring out the idea to contact a bus company and we all agreed to rent the service. It was economic and ecologic and the kids had a lot of fun on their way to each match.

Cheermoms

 When we met at each game to support the team, we became on the official "cheerleaders", before that no one of us will consider to participate in cheering, but for the kids, we do almost anything. The experience eventually became really fun for all of the "cheermoms".

One day I had a lot of office work, so I couldn't take my kids to the game, I just make  my petition to the universe (whats app group) and Martha answered that she could help me, furthermore she offered dinner to my son. Laura and Gaby organized birthday parties and of course the cheermoms and the kids went to Gotcha and Pool parties.

When Josefina said out loud, we should gather together just to chat, we went on to a restaurant, and had a lovely time for ourselves, without the kids or husbands. I will not share specific details, but just know that we had better bonding friendship.

Soccer dinner

At the end of the season, we had in our year several, dinners, pool parties, games, business communications among other. Some of the kids change their after classes and leave the team, but the original cheermom group kept together.

So I share with you some things that I learnt with this original group:

1.- First, have a directory with all your friends information, coordinate and make a group in a social network and start communicating.
2.- As usual, see your friends with goodwill eye, if someone had a special request, support her, eventually this person could pay it forward to somebody else.
3.- Have fun, the goodwill friends (cheermoms) become experts in sharing news and tips and they are always a good source of happiness.

Convenience Networking

Hello!

A few days ago I stopped at a convenience store and when I get in, I recognized Adrian, a young man than I've met when promoting a Masters degree program. There has been a while since we last see each other and although he recognized my face, he wasn't sure from where.

Adrian has a very open personality and when you met him you realize that among other qualities, public relations is one of those. He has a pretty good touch when meeting people is needed. In fact when I approach him, he was speaking to the teller girl, that by the way was in trouble because the computer has no system at that moment, and he was trying to make her life a little less overwhelmed.

Adrian

 Consider this, when we stop at a convenience store, we want to buy one or two articles go to the counter and get out in less than 5 minutes. Now you can imagine our situation, 3 customers waiting for the system and it was working slowly. Adrian applied his joyful personality in this situation and made us laugh. The teller and the other customers felt relaxed.

Getting into the point, when I recognized him, we start chatting, although we had about a year that we haven't talked. As I told you, when he saw me, he didn't remember my name, so directly he told me, your face I know it quite well, but from where we met? When I told him, we catch up on the rest of the students and friends we met a year ago. Before I leave the store, we had exchanged our email, facebook and twitter, we promised we will keep in touch.

So I share with you the recommendations to behave when we find people in a 5 minute basis:

1.- Seize the downtime to make networking, any place, any where, any time is perfect to connect with other people.
2.- If you do not remember someone reaching you, it doesn't matter, make as if you recognize her and then ask directly, from where I met you? Your new acquaintance will be thankful if you can relate friends or activities in common.
3.- Take it easy, make from each situation an opportunity, if you can have a great time, why don't you do it? If life gets you lemons, make lemonade.