Alumni and Friends,
Thank you to everyone who came home to Winthrop to celebrate Homecoming and Reunion! We hope you enjoyed your time on campus and made lots of new Winthrop memories! Check out photos from the weekend on the Winthrop University Facebook and Instagram (@winthropu) and Winthrop Alumni Association Facebook and Instagram (@winthropalumni)!
On Wednesday, Nov. 19, the Alumni Association hosted the 2025 Fall Ring Ceremony. Nineteen students received their Winthrop ring by the Alumni Association and Student Alumni Council. Check out photos from the event on the Winthrop Alumni Association Facebook and Instagram (@winthropalumni)! Congratulations to all the ring recipients!
Now, it’s time to kick off the holiday season! Make plans to attend the 90th Annual Tree Lighting on Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. on the front lawn of Tillman Hall. A beloved Winthrop tradition, the tree lighting will include performances by the Winthrop RockHettes and the Winthrop Chorale and Collegiate Choir. Help celebrate the beginning of the holiday season by joining us for this tradition, which pays homage to the historic Southern Magnolia tree on front campus. To preserve the health of the tree, the flagpole at the fountain is now lit. The Student Alumni Council will sell luminaries for $5 before the tree lighting to add to the holiday glow around Tillman. Proceeds from the luminaries will support the Winthrop Fund. Can’t attend in person? Tune into the live feed via the Alumni Association Facebook page!
One of our last events for the year is to say cheers to the Class of 2025! December graduates are invited to the President's House on Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 3-5 p.m. for the December Senior Champagne Toast! Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres, write a letter to your future self and more! The class gift will be presented at 4 p.m. and President Edward Serna '02 will lead the toast. Click here to register! For questions, e-mail Brandon Partyka, student and young alumni program coordinator, at partykab@winthrop.edu.
Visit the Alumni Association upcoming events page for full details. Use one of the free digital Winthrop backgrounds for virtual events and wear your garnet and gold attire to show your Eagle pride for both in-person and virtual activities!
*All event times are Eastern unless otherwise noted.
"Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work" by David Isay
Oct. 11-Dec. 13
The fifth book for the 2025 Virtual Alumni Book Club is "Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work" by David Isay and is also the 2025-26 Common Book Project, which is a book selected that all incoming freshmen read the summer before they enter Winthrop. Throughout their freshman year, students will discuss the book’s themes of purpose, vocation and meaningful work. The book was selected in part to align with Winthrop’s Quality Enhancement Plan, "Flight Ready," which aims to integrate career readiness across the university curriculum. StoryCorps founder Dave Isay presents unforgettable stories from people doing what they love. Some are paid well for their work, others not at all; some found their paths at a very young age, others later in life; many overcame great odds or upturned their lives in order to pursue what matters to them. These stories were collected over the past two years as part of a national outreach campaign, a first for StoryCorps, and most have never been published or broadcast until now. The reading period is Oct. 11-Dec. 13. Click here to read a summary and reviews for it. Join the Virtual Alumni Book Club by signing up at www.pbc.guru/winthrop.
90th Annual Tree Lighting
Friday, Dec. 5 | 6 p.m.
Front Lawn of Tillman Hall
A beloved Winthrop tradition, the tree lighting will include performances by the Winthrop RockHettes and the Winthrop Chorale and Collegiate Choir. Help celebrate the beginning of the holiday season by joining us for this tradition, which pays homage to the historic Southern Magnolia tree on front campus. To preserve the health of the tree, the flagpole at the fountain is now lit.
The Student Alumni Council will sell luminaries for $5 before the tree lighting to add to the holiday glow around Tillman. Proceeds from the luminaries will support the Winthrop Fund.
Can’t attend in person? Tune into the live feed via the Alumni Association Facebook page!
December Senior Champagne Toast
Wednesday, Dec. 17 | 3-5 p.m.
President's House
Cheers to the Class of 2025! December graduates are invited to the President's House on Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 3-5 p.m. to celebrate Commencement. Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres, write a letter to your future self, and more! At 4 p.m., your class gift will be presented and President Serna '02 will lead the toast. Registration for this event is currently open. Click here to register. For questions, e-mail Brandon Partyka, student and young alumni program coordinator, at partykab@winthrop.edu.
50th Anniversary Winthrop University Model United Nations Conference and Celebration
Wednesday, March 25-Friday, March 27, 2026
The 50th Anniversary Winthrop University Model United Nations (WUMUN) Conference and Celebration will be held on Winthrop's campus, March 25-27, 2026. A special 50th anniversary reception will be held on Thursday, March 26, from 7-10 p.m. in the Evans Room, located on the 3rd floor of the DiGiorgio Campus Center. In honor of the 50th anniversary of Model UN, a scholarship fund in honor of the 24-year Model UN Program Director, Dr. Chris Van Aller, is being established. If you would like to support this effort, you can make your gift safely and securely online in honor of Dr. Van Aller here.
Registration for the reception will open in early 2026. For questions, contact Dr. Jennifer Disney via e-mail at disneyj@winthrop.edu.
Winthrop Ever Stand,
Lori Tuttle
Executive Director of Alumni Relations and Reunion Giving
