Aww, thank you! We’re proudly celebrating our 160-year birthday this week, and as we’re starting to get excited for a more “normal” year ahead, we’re also looking back fondly at our history. Our first alumni event was on June 26, 1861, when Charles Wakeley 1854, MA1857 (one of the first five graduates) convened the UW’s whopping 40 alumni for dinner. Since then, our range of offerings for enhancing Badger connections and community has grown. Sure, we’ve continued to host dinners — which evolved into the first WAA chapters — but we’ve also connected Badgers to the world and to each other. As our network of 450,000 alumni continues to grow and evolve, so do we. Most recently, and perhaps what we’re most excited about, is the relaunching of our identity-based alumni affinity groups. These communities create a space for alumni to make connections and help uplift the next generation of Badgers. Already up and running are our African American, APIDA, and Latinx affinity groups. Set to launch this year are the American Indian Alumni Council and the LGBTQ+ affinity group — learn how you can get involved!