December alumni newsletter 2023

by · December 4, 2023

A banner showing the front of campus covered in snow. Super imposed on top are fairy lights on the windows. The top and bottom of the image also has a mini Christmas tree border. Overlaid on top are the words ‘December Newsletter’.

Welcome to your December alumni newsletter. November was a very busy month at York St John and for your alumni team. As a University, we welcomed prospective students to campus for Open Day and celebrated the Class of 2023 across nine fantastic ceremonies. Your alumni team also held our first event at our London campus for our London campus graduates, a fantastic event for all who attended.

This month we’re excited to attend tonight’s Christmas Carol Service and meet some of our Ripon alumni community at our Very Ripon Christmas event later this week. As winter comes to campus we’re also excited to see our University’s Christmas decorations to brighten the darker nights ahead.

Carol Service

Every year, York St John holds an annual Christmas Carol Service in York Minster. Tonight we can’t wait to sing traditional carols, watch student performances and enjoy York Minster at Christmas. This year’s theme is ‘Searching for Home’.

We hope everyone attending tonight has a great time!

Menfulness: One More Day

Last month, York based community group Menfulness released an impactful video for International Men’s Day on the theme of suicide prevention. Menfulness is a local, York based charity founded and run by two York St John alumni, Jack and Dan.

Menfulness focuses on providing community support for men in the local area, including local community groups, a range of activities, and mental health support including counselling. You can find out more about Menfulness on their website.

Upcoming events

It’s nearly the end of 2023, but that doesn’t mean that York St John isn’t still hosting some fantastic event this month! Looking ahead, there are already plenty of thought-provoking events scheduled for the next few months, including some for International Women’s Day in March.

Browse upcoming events on Eventbrite.

A photo taken from within an audience looking forward. The two people in front, one has short hair which is half dyed pink and the other green. The other is wearing a pale lacey blouse. At the front of the room is a large screen, slightly blurred.

Glad tidings we bring

For many, December is almost synonymous with Christmas. As a religious festival, cultural celebration and commercial holiday, many of our lives will be touched by Christmas, whether we want them to or not! Here are three fun things to think about this festive season:

Giving Tuesday

Last month we marked Giving Tuesday. We could tell you all the ways you can support our students as an alum, including by submitting a snapshot, but instead we’d like to tell you about the fantastic giving our alumni community has done this year.

  • 60 alumni have sent us snapshots to support students as they consider their next steps
  • Our alumni reunion in July raised nearly £3500 through ticket contributions and raffle ticket sales
  • We’ve spoken with 13 alumni as part of our webinar series
  • This year’s York 10k team raised over £1200 for our scholarship fund
  • 24 alumni have taken part in career panels for students this term
  • Our magazine appeal raised over £1000, many from new donors  

We’d like to thank everyone who has supported our students this year, either financially or through sharing your advice.

Find out more about our alumni-funded scholarships.

A photo looking down the Shambles at Christmas. The Shambles is a narrow, cobbled medieval street with medieval timber buildings over-hanging. The street is covered with Christmas decorations, including wreaths.

News from YSJ

  • A third year Product Design student has won the North Yorkshire Institute of Engineering and Technology Committee design competition for their sustainable coffee pod design. Their innovative design challenges current throwaway coffee pod designs. You can learn more about her design on our website.
  • The Ebor Lectures are back! Last month saw the relaunch of this free, thought-provoking lecture series. Find out more about the relaunch and the next Ebor lecture on our website.
  • A new hospitality leadership programme has been launched in York in conjunction with York St John University. The new programme provides mentorship and development for hospitality innovators. Learn more about this partnership on our website.
  • Inspiring Choices, a higher education advice hub based at York St John, has won a major award recognizing its work to support local young people make decisions about their future education and careers. Find out more about their work and their award on our website.

Alumni snapshots

What have you done since completing your studies with us? This year we’ve enjoyed reading and posting your alumni snapshots to Alumination, but we know there are more alumni stories we’d like to share!

We’d like to hear from you to celebrate your success, no matter how big or how small. Whether you’re in your dream job, or are waiting for your big break, we’d like to hear from you. So far we’ve heard from alumni who work in a range of industries and who are at different points in their career.

If you haven’t already, please complete your alumni snapshot on our website.

A photo taken at night of York Minster, partially lit up. The tree in front of the Minster is wrapped in white lights. Behind, the front of another church is covered in golden coloured lights.

Webinars

Did you know that you can watch all of our past webinars for free on YouTube? In 2023, we’ve released webinars from a range of different industries, and next year we’ve got even more for you to enjoy!

A new way to explore campus

Earlier this year we asked alumni to volunteer to be the voices of our history. Today, we’re proud to share our new Heritage Guide to campus, narrated by alumni.

  • Each section is narrated by someone who studied at York St John or one of our founder colleges
  • Did you know we didn’t actually have a quad until 1903? Our Heritage tour explains why in section 6 The Quad.
  • You can follow along at home  or use it next time you’re on campus for a self-guided tour

Look at our new audio Heritage Trail – https://storage.net-fs.com/hosting/7289958/4/

A pale cream map from the 1850s showing the outlines of buildings and streets in York. Of interest here is York St John, which doesn't have it's final wing yet.
York St John as it appears on the 1851 ordnance survey map. Reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland. You can view the map online on their website.

Did you graduate before 1980?

Since 2018, we’ve been awarding alumni who completed their Certificate of Education before 1980 Honorary Bachelor of Education degrees in recognition of the academic rigor of their original course.

If you studied at Ripon College, St John’s College or the College of Ripon and York St John before 1980, and received a Certificate of Education, you are eligible for an honorary degree. Please note this is not a ‘top up’ or upgrade to your original qualification.

To apply please email us with the following information:

  • Your name, and any previous names you might have had
  • Your current address (we send certificates by post)
  • What you studied (including majors or minors) and at which location
  • The years your studied with us
  • A clear photo or scan of your original certificate, if possible.

If you no longer have your original certificate, please don’t worry. We can still process your application, it’ll just take us a little longer!

Contact us about our honorary degree for Certificate of Education alumni by emailing alumni@yorksj.ac.uk.

Talking about grief

York St John Communities Centre is marking National Grief Awareness Week with a Better Together Café. This free event will support people to share their experiences of loss and engage with bereavement experts.

Dr John Wilson, Director of Bereavement Services at York St John has written 10 tips for supporting someone through their grief. From being the friend who remembers to what not to say, you can find out more about the event, and read his tips, on our website.  

Alumni advent

In the run-up to Christmas, we’ll be sharing information about your alumni benefits, how to connect with us and things you can enjoy from home about our University across our social media channels.

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