Correction: The caption of the featured image originally stated that the group pictured was the alumni board. The group is actually alumnae gathering at a reunion on campus, and the caption has been changed to reflect this.
Consisting of 737 women from different occupations, the Archer Alumnae Association creates a way for Archer’s past students to stay connected with their school and help continue to support Archer’s growth and success.
Evelyn Ramirez-Schultz runs the Alumnae Board as Director, along with Secretary Rebecca Samuelson ’13 and President Quinci Land ’05.
Since leaving Archer, each alumna has been able to create her own journey with new job and internship opportunities. Leylie Aghili ’04 runs the Leylie Boutique located in Santa Monica, which was named one of “LA’s hottest new boutiques” by The Hollywood Reporter.
The Oracle interviewed board secretary, and youngest member of Archer’s Alumnae Board, Samuelson.
“Being on the Alumnae Board means taking an active role and staying connected with other Archer alum, especially of other years. It means getting to know all of the girls that already graduated years before me and also staying in contact with students that are still at Archer and help them transition into post-Archer life,” Samuelson said.
As the secretary, she take notes at Board meetings.
The Board was revamped last year to focus on facilitating three different relationships: Alumnae to Alumnae, Alumnae to Institution and Alumnae to Students.
The different committees support Archer as an institution, meaning they support Archer Forward; they attend the hearings and speak out to members of the community.
An example of “Alumnae to Student,” which Samuelson participates in, means coming back to Archer to visit and speaking to seniors in the College Guidance class or going to softball games to cheer on.
Samuelson is the only alumna still in college. Everyone else is from the graduating classes of 2010 and earlier, some as early as 2004 or 2005.
“I get to see all of the different places an Archer education can take you. Some of the girls on the Board are actresses in big movies, others have their own companies and others just had super cute little babies,” Samuelson said. “It’s really cool to see Archer adults and see where I’ll be in five or 10 years.”
Ramirez-Schultz gave The Oracle insight into the Alumnae Board and some of the events she hosts each year.
“I would say that the Alumnae Board’s role is to engage Archer Alumnae… When you graduate from Archer you become an alum, and we want you to stay engaged with the school. Really the whole idea is staying connected, which is the number one goal in being an alum,” she said.
The Board plans activities, events and programs to help keep themselves engaged in the school.
Ramirez-Schultz personally believes that the importance of the Alumnae Board at Archer is “to have the alums stay connected to the school… You know, Archer girl for life.”
There are currently 18 girls on the Alumnae Board. Each year, they have a back-to-school event which all college alums are invited to.
Ramirez-Schultz explained how the Board came together and why she believes it is a necessary addition to the Archer community.
She saw a need for an organized group and reached out to 14 other alums that also seemed to be engaged with the school.
Although the alumnae only get to see each other every so often, they are able to stay connected easily through an iPhone app called EverTrue.
The app is only available for Archer alumnae use and includes a directory, a map where you can see if there are any alumnae near you and a job search feature.
“It is a way for the alums to stay in touch,” Ramirez-Schultz said, “and hopefully support each other throughout ‘post-Archer’ life.”
