It had been more than 40 years since Christine Fleming Mahon '70 had seen her dear friend and big sister from Alpha Omega Pi, Carol Hulnick Woodruff '68. The two had managed to keep up a Christmas card exchange for a while after graduating, but as “life goes, we lost touch,” says Chris.
Unbeknownst to Chris and Carol, both had relocated to the Phoenix, Arizona, area about 10 years ago. The two went on with their lives, never imagining that just a few minutes down the road there was a Wagner reunion just waiting to happen, 2,000 miles away from Grymes Hill.
Then, earlier this year, Carol received an invitation in the mail from Wagner College. She hesitated to open it, thinking it was for an event on campus. But “something just made me open it,” she said. “I saw it was an alumni brunch being hosted by Chris! I knew I had to go no matter what.”
“I am still amazed that I looked up from the table in the backyard, and there Carol was in the doorway,” says Chris, who hosted the Neighborhood Alumni Reception with her husband, Chuck. “And to think we have been so close to each other. Wow, what a wonderful surprise.”
The Neighborhood Alumni Receptions hosted by alumni, in conjunction with the Wagner College Alumni Association, bring together alumni and friends of the College to reconnect, network, and learn about what is happening with the College. In the past year, more than 225 alumni and friends have attended neighborhood events from coast to coast, including California, Arizona, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York.
Next time you receive an invitation from Wagner College, open it — you never know what wonderful surprises might be in store for you.
