December graduation is quickly approaching. Seniors may be thinking about their life after ISU. Transitioning from a student to a professional can be daunting.

Alumni Relations have developed several events to help keep young alumni connected with the university. 

The second annual young alumni beer tasting will take from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday at Fat Jack’s Blue Room.

This event allows alumni who have graduated  10 years ago or less to socialize and learn about a variety of beers.

“It is primarily a social event. Fat Jack’s will explain the beer they are tasting and how to pair it with certain things, like other foods. Also, how the beers are made,” Jamie Sennett, director of Alumni Relations, explained.

“They will choose the beers based on the season. This year it will be a holiday tasting,” Sennett said.

Sennett says that one of her favorite parts of the event is learning how the beer is made, as well as, spreading the word about the young alumni association.

This is a special experience for young alumni as well because Fat Jack’s hosts a small amount of beer tastings every year, which include a variety of seasonal selections.

A registration fee of $12.50 includes a sample of 10 different beers, and light appetizers for attendees.

No beers will be repeated from last year’s event.

The beer tasting is one of many events that Alumni Relations hosts for the young alumni. Other events include career networking or professional development.

“We find that young alums in particular tend to feel more comfortable walking into an event with attendees of the same age group, versus walking into an event with 50-year-olds that have been in a career for a long time. It can be a little intimidating for them,” Sennett said.

“It can be an opportunity for alumni to meet other alumni of their own age,” Sennett said.

The mission of the young alumni group is to keep people engaged after graduation. 

The Young Alumni Association has a central Illinois network, as well as a Chicago network.

The Chicago network will be holding a “We Have a Piano” holiday party on Friday.

For more information visit Alumni.IllinoisState.edu to find other events and services for alumni.