Greetings, Panthers!

Seven months ago, to the day, I began my journey at FIU. I packed up the moving truck amid 23 inches of fresh snow in Cleveland, Ohio, and journeyed on down to Miami. As I write this, I think of the theme song from the ’70s sitcom “The Jeffersons.” The song began with, “We’re moving on up…” And in so many ways, that’s how I feel about coming to FIU and starting this next chapter in my life.

I personally wouldn’t recommend anyone relocate and start a new job during a pandemic, like I did; but when you see a good opportunity, you have to go for it. Over the last few months, I’ve met so many Panther alumni through Zoom calls and, increasingly, in-person meetings and events.

The amount of pride Panther alumni have for FIU is electrifying. Forget about buying back-up generators to deal with hurricanes – we just need to figure out a way to capture Panther excitement as an energy source! I’m not sure if it’s the classroom experiences you had, or the volume of caffeine in the cortaditos you consumed… but your passion for FIU is invigorating.

I am proud to be here as the new leader of your FIU Alumni Association.

In the past year, the alumni association continued its mission connecting alumni with one another and with FIU, but did so virtually due to the pandemic. One lesson learned was how quickly we could pivot to virtual engagement. Not only did we continue to hold a number of events virtually, but  we were able to connect with alumni across the world. As we progress to the “next normal,” we will continue to produce some virtual events while also returning to the in-person experiences that many of us appreciate attending.

Along with new programming initiatives we’ll launch in the year ahead, you might notice that we’ve revamped this e-newsletter as well. Your feedback helped us reshape the content and design. We hope you like it. Let us know if we hit the mark. Also, as we roll out new initiatives, don’t hesitate to give us your feedback and to communicate your ideas on experiences we should introduce/continue.

This is your FIU Alumni Association, and we’re here for you. Feel free to reach out, introduce yourself, and share your perspectives at alumni@fiu.edu.

In Panther Spirit,

Brian Breittholz
Chief Alumni Officer