An interview with Camper Bull C’91, President, and Sigourney Giblin C’06, Vice-President.
What is the College Alumni Association?
Sigourney: We’re a group of Drew graduates with many interests and a variety of backgrounds, but we all have one thing in common: each of us had a valuable experience at our alma mater, and we’re eager to give back. We want to be active in the future of Drew University while remembering our past there.
How does the association benefit alumni and Drew?
Camper: The association gives alumni a voice. The alumni board serves as representatives to the university’s leadership, making sure the ideas and concerns of fellow alumni are expressed. I like to see this as synergistic. By having a voice and staying involved, we help the university grow stronger. We then benefit because that makes our degrees and connections with Drew worth even more. If you would like your voice heard send us an email at cbull@alumni.drew.edu or sgiblin.c06@alumni.drew.edu.
What led you to volunteer for the alumni board?
Sigourney: As a student, I was active with several campus organizations, including Student Ambassadors, which gave me a unique opportunity to interact with alumni and staff before I had even graduated. I got to see very early on how important those relationships could be.
I was also active with the admissions office, working as a tour guide and other activities. After I graduated, I got involved with DART (Drew Alumni Recruitment Team) at the suggestion of the director of admissions. I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
Camper: My education was the best investment my family made in me. I see the return on that investment every day. The professors I studied under at Drew opened my eyes to the world and prepared me to be a successful citizen. It is important to me to give back as a thank you for what Drew University gave to me.
I first started as a volunteer nearly 10 years ago during Homecoming, a position that suited my project management skills and allowed me to get my feet wet as an alumni volunteer. I encourage other alumni to look for similar ways to use their own strengths and skills to become involved.
What’s the most rewarding thing about volunteering?
Sigourney: You start to realize that if there’s a need, something you want to see happen, you have the power to make that change. Want to make the science department even more competitive? As an alum, you can find a way to help do that. The CAA allows you to give back and encourage Drew to be the very best place it can be.
What are some ways that alumni can stay connected to Drew?
Camper: Many people assume that, when we say alumni should give back to Drew, we mean just financially. But the CAA encourages alumni to stay connected with Drew in many ways through their presence, participation and philanthropy.
For example, alumni can be present at events like Alumni College programs, where we have an opportunity to hear Drew professors speak on a variety of interesting topics. Alumni can attend social activities with the Drew Clubs that are active around the country or come cheer on Ranger teams.
Even alumni who don’t live near campus can be involved. Someone who lives in California, for example, could participate with DART to speak with potential students, represent Drew at recruitment fairs or even interview an applicant near him or her.
It is also true that alumni donations are a very important way to give back. Each of us benefited from those who went before us; even those who did not receive financial support from the university saw the benefits of alumni giving in one way or another—from faculty endowments to building upgrades.
Meet Camper Bull C’91
Both of Camper’s parents were professors at Drew. Because of that, he chose to attend a private university in the South. But he quickly realized that “Drew was where I needed to be,” he says.
It’s a good thing, too. Camper is proud of his alma mater. Today, his connection to Drew University runs strong. Excited by his new position as president of the College Alumni Association, Camper is eager to work with alumni to continue Drew’s legacy.
My favorite thing about Drew is . . .
The opportunity to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge, and the professors that I remember so fondly. I remember one particular evening at a local coffee shop with two other students, a philosophy professor and an economics professor. The coffee was terrible, but that night some amazing minds and varying opinions came together in a discussion over the existence of God.
Drew prepared me for life after graduation because . . .
Drew opened my eyes to the world and created a broad person in me. Every course I took during my studies has served me well.
I was an economics major, but thanks to all the history courses I took at Drew I am able to identify paintings in the Louvre or take a group of Japanese exchange students on tour of New York City. I am better at my career because I can understand and appreciate other cultures. As someone who spends a lot of his career dealing with companies abroad, that’s key.
Meet Sigourney Giblin C’06
Sigourney Giblin studied vocal performance and minored in ethics at Drew. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in ethics at Fordham University. A native of Pennsylvania’s Amish country, Sigourney is passionate about Drew, and hopes that all alumni—recent graduates and those decades removed—will come back and become involved.
My favorite thing about Drew is . . .
My entire Drew experience, and it’s what has driven me to stay so connected. The change you undergo as an undergraduate is amazing, and the people I was surrounded by at Drew had the biggest impact on me.
Being at place where the people get to know you as a person and challenge you on a regular basis is a real gift. Being part of a small community made it feel like home. It still feels like home to me. Since I graduated, I’ve met Drew alumni in so many different places; I love that I can find that feeling of community almost anywhere I go.
Drew prepared me for life after graduation because . . .
I am very prepared academically, and I feel like I’m very well-rounded because of my experiences at Drew. I learned to network and cultivate relationships, how to write well and think critically—all important skills for any pathway in life. All of the jobs I’ve had since graduation were obtained through Drew connections. The Drew family always has your best interest in mind. From Drew, you can go anywhere.