Last week, the NOVA Educational Foundation (The Foundation) hosted a kick-off event to launch the new ‘NOVA Alumni and Friends’ Network where alumnae spanning the decades came to share their empowering stories of how NOVA changed their lives. The event was held in the newly renamed Long Nguyen and Kimmy Duong Forum on NOVA’s Annandale Campus.
NOVA alumni span the region and the globe and are often those who stay and contribute to the region’s economy. The ‘Alumni and Friends Network’ is open to all graduates—those who have taken classes through NOVA Workforce, those who have completed their associate degree or are family members of a NOVA student or alum. The network is also open to faculty, staff and community members who are champions of the college.
The event was kicked off with remarks from Dr. Diane Mucci, provost of the Annandale Campus who greeted guests. “Paying it forward will be at the heart of the NOVA Alumni and Friends Network, and I know all of you will join me and countless others in ensuring NOVA students continue to succeed in their educational pursuits.”
“This marks a new beginning for an impassioned group of NOVA alumni and friends to make a difference by getting involved with our College and our students,” said Ambassador Joseph Huggins, incoming chair of the NOVA College Board. “I know that this NOVA Network will have an impact on our region for generations to come.”
As alumni had the opportunity to network with one another, the night also showcased the on-going dedication that Nighthawks have for their community. The Honorable Sharon Bulova, retired chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and a dedicated public servant, spoke fondly of having gotten her start at NOVA.
“I had never thought I would go into politics or government,” said Bulova. “NOVA prepared me so well for that. I learned so much from my education at NOVA. I am always honest about this; I never did get a four-year degree. And so, I had an inferiority complex about that. But everything I needed to know about local government were things that I had learned here at NOVA. I learned about statistics and law, business, math and all of those things. I feel strongly, when you receive a gift like I received from NOVA, it is important to give back. That is why I established the Bulova Family Endowed Scholarship.”
The Foundation is offering lifetime membership opportunities to the NOVA Alumni and Friends Network for a one-time gift of $500 or interested parties can join for an annual membership rate of $25 a year. Understanding that NOVA’s newest alumni may need some time to complete their four-year journey and land a job in their chosen field, the Foundation is pleased to provide alumni who have graduated from NOVA within the last five years a free Alumni and Friends membership. Please visit https://giving.nvcc.edu/ for more information.
For questions or to express interest in joining the NOVA ‘Alumni and Friends Network,’ please contact Damian Sinclair, director of development at the NOVA Educational Foundation at dsinclair@nvcc.edu. For media inquiries, contact Hoang Nguyen, associate director of external communications at hdnguyen@nvcc.edu.
About the NOVA Educational Foundation:
The NOVA Foundation was established in 1979 to raise private financial support to close the gap between Commonwealth funds and the resources required to offer excellence in programs to graduate highly sought-after talent. The mission of the educational foundation is to generate support for Northern Virginia Community College by raising funds, increasing visibility, and strengthening partnerships between the College and state and local communities.
Funding supports programs with new campus buildings, the latest industry-specific equipment, programmatic innovation, and faculty retention to meet the demands of our region’s workforce. The Foundation supports more than 500 scholarships as well as academic innovation and inclusive excellence through robust annual grant programs that benefit the College's six campuses and NOVA Online. The NOVA Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. All gifts are tax deductible as allowed by law.