Recent Graduate Braden VanDyke Joins Alumni Office
Written by Monica VanDerWeide, ’95
The newest member of the Alumni Relations staff, Braden VanDyke, ’21, is a familiar face to many. The 2021 senior class president and former student president of the 1844 Society joined the office last October to fill the position of Assistant Director for Student Programs and Young Alumni.
In this role, Braden serves as the main liaison for alumni who have graduated in the past five years, and he oversees the 1844 Society and the Legacy Board, a student group that is responsible for selecting and fundraising for the senior class gift. Additionally, he will oversee senior class activities including the senior sidewalk painting, Legacy in the Library, and wine tastings.
Braden hopes to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and stewardship among the student body through the work of the 1844 Society, a student and alumni monthly giving society. No stranger to student philanthropy, Braden served as president of the 1844 Society for three of his four years as a student and is delighted to continue to encourage student and young alumni giving. “Memberships in the 1844 Society have increased significantly in the past year,” he says. “Now, more than 10 percent of the student body is an active member of the 1844 Society—a mark that is unheard of for any student-alumni association in the nation—that more than 1 out of every 10 students are giving back to their college.”
To that end, the 1844 Society will hold a “Love the ’Dale” weeklong event in February to encourage student giving. “We’ll have tables set up in the student union throughout the week, highlighting various aspects of Hillsdale College to show our love and appreciation,” Braden says. Concurrently with the 1844 Society’s “Love the ’Dale” event, the Alumni Office will hold an online affinity campaign, encouraging alumni to give back to what they love about Hillsdale, whether an athletic team, Greek house, academic program, or student organization.
Braden considers it a “great honor” to serve Hillsdale as an alumnus and staff member. “I believe in Hillsdale’s mission, and it has been so formative in my life,” he said. “I’m excited to be able to further steward the mission of the College every single day.”
If you would like to establish an 1844 Society membership or learn more about the “Love the ’Dale” campaign, please contact Braden VanDyke at [email protected].
Braden VanDyke
Monica VanDerWeide is Director of Marketing Content for Hillsdale College. She graduated from Hillsdale in 1995 with a degree in English and German.
Published in February 2022