Parent’s Weekend 2024
An Annual Tradition
This year Parent’s Weekend was packed with fun events for families to enjoy. It took place over the last weekend in September and facilitated the welcoming of multigenerational alumni and new members of the Union family, allowing staff and students to celebrate the real meaning of Union as new and old students came to gather together.
UAU has been able to watch tradition unfold as families continue to send their children to Union and students continue to choose Union because of the comforting stories they have heard about their parents' attendance. Annika Swanson-Lane, a freshman studying secondary education, shared, “It’s really beautiful how many of my friends' parents went to school with my parents. It’s a unique experience of an Adventist institution. It’s also a very nostalgic experience for my parents. It’s meaningful for me to get to share those experiences with them, years later. It’s nice to attend an institution that invests in their students so much you see them coming back for generations.”
The Sabbath was kicked off with Union’s typical Family Worship at CVC followed by a “Meet the President Reception” with Union’s new President Dr. Yami Bazan. Prior to the event she shared this, “I understand this event to be one of the highlights of our Union Fall experiences. Welcoming so many of our own alumni back, but now with their children, affirms our internal Union family of our long-standing tradition of service and care.”
Following Yami’s warm welcome on Friday night and all of the Church festivities on Saturday morning, there were a plethora of campus activities for everyone to participate in including slacklining, hammocking, bingo, brownies, and a bubble station. There was even an event hosted by UAU alumni which included cornhole and drinks that allowed alumni to gather and reminisce. On Saturday night, at the Family Fair, there were a couple of lively sports games taking place in the new Reiner Wellness Center Facility. The current Union Warriors faced off the alumni in a volleyball game followed by a basketball game.
To end the weekend, attendants shared in a brunch followed by a celebration of College View. They also had the opportunity to witness the Sunday morning Farmers Market hosted every weekend.
Union faculty and students feel that hosting these types of events which allows parents and alumni to gather and share in the joy of current students is part of what makes Union so special. As the Union website states, “You are key to their success”. Union Adventist University could not exist without the support of alumni and parents, and for that, Union thanks you.
by Olivia Sweet