Matters of State

A message from the executive director

'None of us is as strong as all of us'

John Correro, whose association with Mississippi State began 37 years ago, was named executive director of the Alumni Association last October.

"None of us is as strong as all of us." It sounds simple on the surface. But, if you think about this statement as it applies to Mississippi State University and its alumni, you will realize that it embodies the very essence of our mission as one of the country's leading land-grant institutions.

My days as a student at Mississippi State instilled in me a drive, a spirit, and a desire to help this university grow and prosper and to make sure that those who had feelings similar to mine—those who knew what it meant to be a part of the family—had the opportunities and the avenues to do likewise.

For the past 26 years, I've been fortunate enough to be associated with the Alumni Association and to have the opportunity to foster the Mississippi State family spirit in thousands of others. Today, as executive director of your Alumni Association, I, along with the staff and the national board of directors, am committed to continuing to fan the flame of this university and helping provide opportunities for all of its alumni to have a part in shaping its future.

But, we need your help. People ask me, "What can I by myself do that could help Mississippi State University?" I tell them, "By yourself, you can make an impact, but you as a part of us can make a tremendous difference."

One of the most important ways that information about the positive things happening on campus is spread is by word of mouth. When you talk to your neighbors in the backyard and in the grocery store and in church, what you have to say about Mississippi State can influence how they think and feel about the university. When you talk to prospective students, you can influence their decision to attend Mississippi State.

Many decisions that affect the future of Mississippi State are made by the state representatives and senators who represent your district. Voice your opinion on key issues that affect the university and let them know how Mississippi State is boosting the state's economy.

If you send your children to Mississippi State, you are showing others that you trust the university with your most special possession. By supporting the Annual Giving Program, you are providing the colleges and schools with the financial support they need to build modern computer labs, keep up with the latest technology, and enhance classroom learning. The program also funds other projects vital to the university that otherwise might not be possible, such as publishing Mississippi State Alumnus, honoring our faculty with the Faculty Recognition Banquet, and developing our students through the Alumni Delegates program and the Student Alumni Council. Annual giving is an area in which we have to improve, and the staff and the board will work hard to increase participation.

As groups, our alumni chapters—some 90 strong from Yazoo County to Thailand—provide opportunities for alumni to gather socially and to keep abreast of the quality teaching, state-of-the-art research, and public service of the university through guest speakers. Alumni chapters also provide a strong voice for Mississippi State in the local community, recruit students, establish scholarships, and through their community service work stand as shining examples to others of the quality of the individuals that the university produces.

We have an outstanding staff in place at the Alumni Association and we have a strong national board of directors. Working together, they provide guidance for the programs and activities that allow our alumni and friends to support the university. We are planning strategically and we are evaluating our programs and services, looking for ways to increase volunteer participation and, ultimately, our support to the university.

We have a good, strong base of volunteers, but it could be stronger. It must be stronger. Join with us as we move ahead. Give of what you can, whether it be supporting a local chapter, donating to the Annual Giving Program, the University Foundation, or the Bulldog Club, or helping to recruit students. Mississippi State needs the support of its alumni in so many ways. Some 78,000 alumni working together for a single purpose can be an extremely powerful force to help drive this university into the next century.

Some may not believe the alumni can make a difference in Mississippi State's future, but we can. And none of us is as strong as all of us.