Our students need your support and encouragement as they face an academic landscape that we couldn’t have imagined in our college years.
Kelly Shank ’23 shows off the card and socks she received from her Aunt Sarah for her half birthday.
“Aunt Sarah” was traditionally a secret connection with hints and clues to discover identities. However, over the years and with the popularity of new technologies, many decide to email, text, FaceTime, Skype, or even meet face to face. For many, the real tradition is that someone made this connection with you as a student, and now, as an alum, you keep the tradition alive by connecting with a current student. We have added “Uncle Wilson” to be inclusive of our Wilson Community.
There are currently 102 confirmed pairings. More volunteers are always needed.
*PLEASE NOTE — in light of Covid-19, we encourage you to share email and/or home addresses to connect with your pairing. The steps might be a little more challenging, but the reward of connection is greater than ever.
If an existing pairing already knows each other, sharing email or home addresses to stay in occasional contact
is easy. If a pairing is secret or new, it is more difficult during the pandemic without using the office staff as well the go-between for small packages. You may decide to reveal identities for convenience, or you may send emails via ARoffice@wilson.edu for the staff to cut/paste and forward to the appropriate student or alum.
Returning alum participants, please make sure the office knows if you are keeping a student or need a new assignment. We have sent follow-up emails to alums to let you know if your student is part of the group on campus this semester.
We appreciate all our volunteers and LOVE this tradition! Thank you for keeping this longstanding tradition alive.
Sign up or learn more at wilson.edu/aunt-sarah-program
Ideas that do not cost a lot of $$$:
• a postcard or letter once a month – send riddles or jokes, share stories, encourage, and wish them well
• activities — Sudoku, puzzle or coloring books, pens or pencils in fun colors, silly putty
• novelty or festive socks
• items such as candy, lip balm, magnets, key chains, laptop/water bottle stickers, coffee or hot chocolate packets
• a small dollar-amount gift card to a national chain
• a $5 bill in a card with a note
Our gratitude to Carolyn Trembley Shaffer ’50, who coordinated and did all the work for this program for so many years!
If you need any assistance with reaching your paired student throughout the year, please contact Alumni Relations at ARoffice@wilson.edu or 717-262-2010.
