A packed room of 80 recent University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business graduates, standing with Aloha Beer Company owner and Shidler alumnus Steve Sombrero, while chanting "Aloha Beer!" isn't exactly what most picture as alumni engagement.
But it's events such as the recent alumni mixer, held in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii's Young Professional (YP) Program earlier this year, that are gaining momentum amongst the newest generation of alumni. These gatherings are building community, creating mentorship opportunities and strengthening the alumni network in innovative ways that are engaging and a whole lot of fun.
The inspiration for the event was born at an earlier event the college hosted in collaboration with the Shidler Alumni Association. Christine Quach—former alumni, communications and event specialist for Shidler—said it was another fellow alumna, Kelli Chinen, who approached her with the idea. Chinen serves on the membership committee of the YP Program and thought having a combination event would be a great way to connect the networks. She's also an active member of the college's alumni network, beginning her term as director of the Shidler Alumni Association in July.
"Each of our events has brought out more alums and many have never attended previous Shidler events," Quach said. "We were happy to see that we're slowly bridging the gap and strengthening the connections of our alums."
The most recent event at Aloha Beer Company—a sold-out success—was the third in a series geared toward alumni who've graduated in the past 10 years. Each has seen a larger interest and attendance. The inaugural gathering was themed "Sweat and Sip," which hosted 30 for an energizing workout at Orangetheory Fitness, followed by a hard-earned pau hana at Village Bottle Shop and Tasting Room.
As the interest for these types of events continues to grow, the college expects to strengthen the momentum with regular activities. Some ideas in the queue for consideration include hiking, Paint and Sip and service projects.
"It's inspiring to see the growing enthusiasm among our recent alumni," Shidler College of Business Dean Vance Roley said. "Their engagement is vital to the strength and future of our Shidler network. I'm proud of the momentum we've built through recent events and look forward to seeing even more young professionals reconnect, contribute and thrive together in the coming years."
For the entire story and more stories like this, see the spring/summer 2025 edition of Shidler Business (PDF) .
The post Rising Shidler alums: Next generation leads in building connection, community first appeared on University of Hawaiʻi System News .
