Bahrain Reception Marks Chapter’s Fourth Anniversary

Our Gulf International Alumni Chapter hosted a reception with President George E. Martin in Manama, Bahrain, in October. The 8,000-mile trip went a long way in supporting fellowship and growth for the university’s first international alumni chapter.

President Martin was joined by Tom Evans, associate vice president for Professional Education and Global Initiatives; Jim Link, vice president for University Advancement; and Kippi Griffith MBA ’01, director for Alumni and Parent Programs.

A Warm Welcome

The reception, hosted by Yasser Abdulrahman Al-Raee ’88 and Atif Abdulmalik ’88, was the third in the region since 2004. The event brought together more than 40 alumni and parents. President Martin briefed guests about the St. Edward’s campus in Angers, France; the state of the university; and the 2015 strategic plan.

The evening before the reception Mohamed and Vicki-Lee Yateem,
parents of May Yateem ’10, hosted a dinner for President Martin at
their home.

In conjunction with the president’s visit, representatives from the Office of Undergraduate Admission recruited students at high schools and college fairs in Manama; Doha, Qatar; and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. These students also attended the reception.

Home Away from Home

On campus one month earlier, President Martin hosted a dinner for 10 students from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. “It was a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow students from the same region,” says Maha Al-Maadeed ’10, an Economics major from Qatar. “I especially appreciate the time and effort spent to make sure every detail was taken care of, as the dinner coincided with a night during Ramadan.”

Reaching out to experience cultural differences is precisely the point, says Griffith. “We want to connect our students from the Middle East with each other and the university so they know the fellowship that awaits them as alumni.”

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