Get Inspired by the Possibilities

Get Inspired by the Possibilities

The Northwestern Alumni Association helps spark meaningful experiences by connecting you to social, intellectual, or professional opportunities with the University and alumni community.
Northwestern Club of Chicago members pose in front of a tent at the Chicago Marathon

Supporting Marathon Runners

As an undergraduate at Northwestern, Gina Johnson ’19, ’24 MD participated in races as a member of the NU Triathlon Club. The longtime athlete is now on the other side of the finish line along with several other volunteers from the Northwestern Club of Chicago who greet runners of the Chicago Marathon with food, drinks, medals, and more. “I’ve always loved being a part of sporting events whether I’m participating or cheering on others,” says Johnson, who has volunteered at the marathon for the past two years.

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She is among the 20 to 50 club members who help at the end of the 26.2-mile race every October. The club has organized alumni volunteers at the marathon for nearly 20 years except during the COVID-19 pandemic. “There’s a lot of good energy from the runners, so that makes this one of the club’s favorite volunteer events,” says club secretary Philip DeMaertelaere ’90, who recalls members have done everything from cloaking the women’s winner with a heat shield to tearing down the finish line to working the Beer Tent.

A longtime marathon volunteer, DeMaertelaere enjoys seeing the familiar faces of other alumni who come back year after year as well as welcoming new alumni who join the annual outing. “It’s a great opportunity to interact with other alumni and chat with them about the club,” he says. “Plus, you’re in downtown Chicago in Grant Park surrounded by the skyscrapers, so it’s a picturesque setting.”

What’s the most fun you’ve had at a Northwestern outing? Share your story.

Explore Your Next Move

Interested in finding a Northwestern alumni leadership opportunity? Learn more.
Headshot of Joe Hauler

I created a storytelling series in Los Angeles that empowers Northwestern alumni to craft and present their autobiographical stories on stage. I love helping them get to the heart of their experiences.”

Joe Hauler ’98
 Copresident, Northwestern University Entertainment Alliance (NUEA)-West

Headshot of Elena Wapner

During the pandemic, we created a model for a food drive that allowed our club members to choose where they wanted to donate money or food items and then self-report the amount to the club for points. Whoever had the most points won a prize. We’re still using the same model today. What made this special was our club board coming together at a difficult time and developing a creative way to give back to our community and connect our alumni.”

Elena Wapner ’04
 NU Club of Philadelphia

Headshot of Ned ODoherty

I enjoyed my experience as a student-athlete on the varsity track and field and cross country teams at Northwestern. Now as an alum, a lot of my involvement with the University has been wrapped around athletics. I’ve been a longtime football and basketball season ticket holder, and over the years, I’ve appreciated how Northwestern strives for success and the camaraderie this has spurred with other alumni and students.”

Ned O’Doherty ’82
 N Club Member

Spark your next...

Shoptalk
Retail Therapy
Sense of Purpose
Career Insight
Reading List

Spark your next...

Shoptalk
Retail Therapy
Sense of Purpose
Career Insight
Reading List
 

Preserving Community

When Barbara Pereira Rübel ’93 MBA joined the NU Club of Switzerland in 1993, the Detroit native found a close community of Northwestern alumni in her new country. But after the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the club all but disintegrated. Unwilling to lose her friends and ties to the University, she rallied club members for a fresh start.

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With her marketing savvy and an enduring affinity for Northwestern and its role in her life, Rübel assumed the club’s presidency in 2022 and orchestrated its spirited revival alongside a dedicated board. Rübel and her team doubled the number of annual club events, bolstered membership, and generated new education and networking opportunities.

“When I was deciding to take on the presidency, I looked back and thought, ‘Well, what does the club mean to me?’ There have been friendships, of course, as well as ties to the University that I don’t want to lose, but it’s also the community. You have others with common values, and that’s worth building up and preserving.”

Barbara Rubel in light purple sweater and dark purple scarf poses on a bridge in Switzerland
What have you enjoyed most about your Northwestern alumni club experience? Share your story.

Experience the World

Ski Trip
Tanzania
Japan

Adventures Await

Travel around the world with fellow Northwestern alums.

Find A Trip
What’s the most unexpected place you’ve run into a Northwestern alum? Share your story.
Photo of Deanna Conley

Finding New Friendships

“When I was a student at Northwestern, my circle was small, and I spent a lot of time studying,” says Deanna Conerly ’92, who grew up in Indianapolis and majored in communication studies as an undergraduate at the University. “I was focused on getting the most I could out of my academic experience.” Years later, after moving back to Indianapolis, building her career, and raising a family, she was ready to reconnect with the University and meet new people.

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Conerly joined the NU Club of Indianapolis and became president in 2018, planning events and outings to create community for Wildcats in the area. Through these experiences—and volunteering for the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association (NUBAA) and Alumni Admission Council—she developed treasured, rewarding friendships with alumni of all ages. Conerly met recent graduates who shared different experiences and perspectives from their Northwestern experiences and got to know alums who were there at the same time but never crossed paths with her. She also formed close connections with a few alumni who graduated in 1970, the same year she was born.

“Getting involved with the NAA gave me a chance to meet new people who shared this common experience of four years out of our lives. And it gave me a chance to really do some things differently,” Conerly says. “I like to think of it as a do-over from when I was a student.”

Has the NAA ignited a new friendship in your life? Share your story.

Our Guiding Principles

The NAA sparks lifelong growth and connection for alumni with each other and the University. Here are the vision, mission, and core values that guide our efforts to become the alumni community we want to be.

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Alumni Demographics

The NAA is working to deepen our understanding of Northwestern alumni so we can provide meaningful programming that better represents all alumni. Learn more about our alumni community.

Who We Are

How can the Northwestern Alumni Association fuel your spark? We’d like to learn more about your interests. Let us know.