December alumni newsletter 2022

Welcome to your December alumni newsletter! Last month was very busy at York St John as we celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2022, welcomed prospective students to campus and saw the King unveil a statue of the late Queen at York Minster.

This month we’ll be saying goodbye to students as term ends with a traditional Archie’s Day, and taking part in some festive traditions ourselves. This month York St John will be hosting our traditional Christmas Carol Service in York Minster, decorating campus with a variety of fantastic trees and of course, continuing to support our students.

We’re also going to be having a busy month as we’ll be telling you more about Your YSJ Reunion, marking advent in a new exciting way, and announcing something for the new year too.

Christmas time

It might only be the start of December, but Christmas is already firmly in our minds! York’s Christmas Markets have already opened, York Minster have a series of fantastic advent services and performances, and the entire city centre is covered in festive lights.

• York is celebrating 30 years of Christmas Markets with more Christmas lights, an online market and plenty of festive treats! York residents also receive a discount at the market this year, sometimes up to 30% off!
• York Minster is hosting a fantastic range of events, services and festivals throughout advent. You can find out more about their Christmas celebrations on their website.
• YorkMix have pulled together a Christmas guide of unmissable events around York, including family friendly events and the best places to eat and drink this festive season.
• You can find out more about festive events in York on the VisitYork website.

Your alumni advent

This year we’ll be marking advent with a daily nod to all things alumni! We’ll be reminding you of your core alumni benefits, sharing festive images from around York and sharing some of this year’s blog posts.

• Book your place at this year’s Christmas Carol Service on Monday 5 December. Join your university community for a free service, sing traditional carols and enjoy the splendour of the Minster.
• Remind yourself of your alumni benefits, which include discounts at alumni businesses.
• Rewatch this year’s fantastic webinars.

Make sure you’re following us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (or even all three!) to see them all.

Graduation

November means graduation, and this year we celebrated our most recent graduates across eight fantastic ceremonies. We watched as over 2300 new graduates crossed the stage and shared their success with their peers. We also handed every graduate their Class of 2022 pin badge once they’d left the stage too!

We also welcomed three new honorary graduates to York St John during our graduation week. Nominated for their outstanding work and alignment with our university values, you can read more about them on our website.

Find out more about this year’s graduation ceremonies on our blog.

Cordukes Circle

Most people are focused on Christmas, but we’re already thinking ahead to March and to our next Cordukes Circle event.

Cordukes members are invited as thank you for their commitment towards the university and our future. Members are invited to join after donating regularly for over five years, donating a total greater than £1000 or after they have pledged a gift in their will to support our students.

This year alone, our Cordukes Members have helped fund 12 scholarships which have supported underrepresented individuals to continue their studies with us.

You can find out more about our Cordukes Circle on our website.

Giving Tuesday

Earlier this week, we marked Giving Tuesday, a global initiative to celebrate and encourage charity giving. There are lots of ways you can support our students at York St John:

• You can support our students by offering job opportunities, internships and work experience. If you have an opportunity you’d like to share, you can do so by emailing careers@yorksj.ac.uk. You can also post it on our LinkedIn page.
• If you shop through EasyFundraising, you’ll be donating to us for free, and at no extra cost to you. Find out more on EasyFundraising.
• Share your expertise with students. This could be through a guest lecture, webinar or something different. Complete an alumni snapshot to help us engage with you.
• Support the students who need it most by donating to our alumni-funded scholarships.
• Consider leaving us a gift in your will. Find out more about this on our website.

You can find out more about how to support us on our webpages.

The King’s visit

Last month, York welcomed King Charles and Queen Camilla to York to unveil a statue of the late Queen. Despite the rain, large crowds turned out to welcome them into the city and watch them unveil the statue as part of their Yorkshire tour.

You can find out more about their visit to York on the YorkMix website.

Upcoming events

There’s always something going on at York St John! But as alumni there are a few key events you might be interest in:

• Next week’s free Christmas carol service at York Minster. Enjoy student performances and traditional carols in a stunning setting!
• Old Johns is back 3 – 5 March. We’re working on the full details with the Students’ Union, but if you were part of a team, club or society whilst studying with us, please save the date!
• Your YSJ Reunion on 22 July 2023. We’re still asking for everyone to register their interest for our first reunion in a while! Catch-up with friends, make new memories and reminisce about the old ones; we’ll be announcing more information the reunion and how to book this month. We’ll also tell you more about how Your YSJ Reunion will be raising money for our alumni-funded scholarships.

A lot to blog about

Last month we posted four new blogs! If you haven’t already, you can read them on our blog:

• John Wilkinson: a lifetime in education
• St John’s as a Voluntary Aid Detachment Hospital
• 10 tips for the Class of 2022
• Celebrating the Class of 2022 at graduation

Thinking about a career change?

As an alum of York St John, you can access lifelong career advice. You can book an appointment with a career advisor by emailing careers@yorksj.ac.uk.