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Thunderbirds gather at Super First Tuesday eventsThunderbirds gather at Super First Tuesday events

The chatter began as a buzz and grew to a steady roar as the Williams Club in New York filled to standing room only. It wasn’t a typical First Tuesday gathering for the Thunderbird alumni chapter in Manhattan. It was Super First Tuesday, held on a Monday in collaboration with the Thunderbird Career Management Center Media Trek from the graduate school in Glendale, Ariz.

The New York City chapter opened its doors early to invite current and prospective students to experience the enveloping aura of the Thunderbird Alumni Network.

Chapters around the world meet monthly on First Tuesdays to network and renew friendships. Each March the social gatherings take on a grander scale. At the annual event in New York City, prospective students joined discussions among alumni making business connections and propositions, and current students recounting campus developments.

Many guests swapped nostalgic stories of gatherings at the campus Pub.

“The alumni enjoy seeing each other and hearing the latest updates from the school,” said Nona Niner, a 1981 Thunderbird graduate. “These events are very important for such a large and important alumni chapter as the one in New York City.”

Thunderbird Student Theresa Nunn said she enjoyed reaching out to prospective students. “It gave me the opportunity to meet some potential and future Thunderbirds, and give them information that may help them in making the decision on whether or not Thunderbird is the place for them,” she said.

Around the world, Thunderbird alumni chapters in 50 cities gave prospective students a sneak peak into one of the school’s acclaimed assets: Its alumni and student network. By the end of this month, 102 chapters in 43 countries will have participated in their own versions of Super First Tuesday.

Andy Chen, a 2005 Thunderbird graduate and assistant director of global recruitment, said the event gives prospective students the opportunity to hear firsthand experiences from students and graduates.

“This includes learning from the time spent during the program as well as what they have gone on to do and accomplish post-program,” said Chen, who attended the San Francisco event and will be at the Indianapolis event later this month.

“I actually went to some First Tuesday events before being accepted to Thunderbird, to interact with former students,” said Thunderbird student Ryan Liebling, who attended the New York City Super First Tuesday. “I feel they gave great honest, insightful outlooks in regards to the school.”

Not only do students and alumni provide information for prospective students at these events, but Thunderbird faculty and staff travel the world to share their own insights. Thunderbird Professor F. John Mathis, director of the Global Financial Services Center, attended an event in Singapore. Will McDonald, director of Academic Programs, participated in London. And a collection of recruiters traveled to places such as Detroit, Miami, Boston, Seattle and Taipei.

“The number of events around the world demonstrates the depth and reach of our alumni around the globe,” Chen said

Many prospective students expressed appreciation for the outreach.

“I look forward to other Thunderbird events,” said Chad Householder, a prospective student in Boise, Idaho. “All of the T-birds helped to solidify that Thunderbird is my first choice for graduate school.”

By Darien Carroll, Thunderbird student