Contact: Walt Harrington

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Nearly 60 chapters of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association are hosting summer send-off parties for new MSU students July 18-Aug. 8.

Now in its 14th year, the welcoming program helps incoming freshmen and transfers from across the nation prepare for university campus life, while MSU alumni and friends offer their support to these first-time MSU students.

These parties welcome new Bulldogs from Mississippi and 11 other states—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Texas.

“We are always excited to welcome new students and their parents to the Bulldog family,” said Jeff Davis, MSU Alumni Association executive director. “These celebrations provide an excellent opportunity for alumni and friends to share advice and experiences with incoming students to help them begin a successful academic career here at MSU.”

MSU senior international business major Kerry Steen of Marietta, Georgia, has firsthand experience with send-off parties. He was a participant of an Atlanta, Georgia, chapter party before starting classes at MSU. At the celebration, Steen received encouragement going into his freshman year.

“My attendance at the Atlanta send-off party helped shape my college experience by making me feel welcome, preparing me for Mississippi State, and enabling me to meet friendly faces of the Bulldog family,” he said. “The people I met there truly became some of my first friends at MSU since I was enrolling from out of state. The party also gave me the chance to network with and receive valuable information from alumni who genuinely wanted me to succeed in life.”

Steen said the send-off party experience allowed him to build connections that have helped him navigate college life. As a member of the MSU Alumni Delegates organization, he is among student leaders who help the university and MSU Alumni Association maintain strong ties with more than 145,000 living alumni.

“One of the alumni that I met at the party helped me secure an internship four years later,” Steen said. “A small interaction and a friendly face can go a long way, and an MSU send-off party is a prime example of an event that can have lasting impact on a life.”

For a schedule of this year’s send-off parties and locations, visit www.alumni.msstate.edu/sendoff. For more detailed information, contact Janet Downey, coordinator of alumni chapter and volunteer programs, at 662-325-8515 or jdowney@alumni.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.