University of Michigan’s Forever Go Blue Bash Celebrates Graduates with Food, Fun, and Future Connections

More than a thousand graduating students from the University of Michigan came together for the third annual Forever Go Blue Bash on Apr. 16, transforming Ingalls Mall and the Alumni Center into a celebration of achievement and connection. Hosted by the Alumni Association, the event featured food trucks, lawn games, photo ops, and resource tables to help seniors transition into alumni life.

The bash served as a celebration and an introduction to the lifelong community available through the Alumni Association. Kinesiology senior Madison Bray highlighted the value of reconnecting with classmates and reflecting on her college experience, noting the importance of maintaining ties beyond graduation.

Having an ongoing connection with the Alumni Association allows graduates a network and personal ties that can contribute to their careers for a very long time. Alumni Association resources — from regional alumni clubs and career support to travel programs and lifelong learning — offer a variety of options to help alumni stay engaged and connected with each other well after they have left campus.

Rob Clendening, vice president of marketing and communications for the Alumni Association, shared the event's significance for the organization and students beginning a new chapter. "Our hope is that we can continue to engage and have a relationship with those alumni throughout the rest of their careers and their lives," Clendening said. "And so that's why it's kind of a special moment for us. It's that kind of moment of transition as we're starting to talk to them as, not just, 'Hey, you're seniors, congratulations that you're getting ready to graduate,' but, 'How can we work with you once you are alums?'"

The Alumni Association utilized the event to illustrate available post-graduation benefits, from regional alumni clubs and travel opportunities to lifelong learning programs and professional development resources. For seniors, the Forever Go Blue Bash was a celebration prior to commencement, and for the Alumni Association, it was simply the start of an ongoing connection.