My name is Noah Kairis and I am a proud senior at Geneva College. I am pursuing a Business Administration degree, working for a small group of local pharmacies, and serving as President of the Student Alumni Association (SAA). After graduation, I intend to continue working in the healthcare field with plans to foster innovation from within to provide patients with the best care possible.

During my freshman year I decided to attend Cokes and Connections (a Geneva hosted event for clubs, organizations, and community activities) to see if anything interested me. Everyone always told me that you need to be involved on campus early to build networks and gain experience. Naturally, Cokes and Connections seemed like a great place for me to start looking. I browsed the 50 or so vendors there promoting their club/organization but came to be interested in the Student Alumni Association, so I decided that I would apply.

Later, I was contacted for an interview and accepted as a new member. At this point the SAA was still young, created not long before, but was full of big ideas. The SAA was and is continually dedicated today to connecting current students with alumni, promoting philanthropy among the student body, and enhancing school spirit. These were all goals that I thought were great, but at the time I had no idea how passionate I would become for them.

I enjoyed being part of the SAA where I worked with other team members to host alumni events, collect donations for Project Bundle Up, and spread the word on campus for things like Tuition Freedom Day. Eventually, it came time for officers to be elected so I decided to throw my hat into the ring for the position of Vice President. I was later instated and couldn’t wait to help develop the organization further. I learned a lot along the way while holding the Vice President position, things such as leadership skills, problem solving, and the value of networking with Geneva Alumni.

As time passed, I advanced my position and was instated in my current position as president of the SAA. As president, I can truly say I am proud of the impact we have on the Geneva community and hope that it multiples in the years to come. In my opinion, the SAA is truly one of the most valuable experiences that students can participate in on campus. The SAA has made a big impact on my life and I hope that it continues to impact the lives of future students for generations to come. Soon, I will make the transition from student to alumni, and look forward to, as stated in the SAA’s slogan: “students for a while, alumni forever”.