On the blog this week, the Development and Alumni Relation Office’s Engagement Officer and alumna, Hayley, explores this week’s social media theme of magazines and memories…
“My name is Hayley; I am a University of Chester alumna and currently the Engagement Officer in the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO). I studied both my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees here at the University of Chester, never imagining that I would eventually become the editor of the institute’s alumni publications!
“Part of my role includes editing our two annual publications: ACH1EVE, our official magazine for University of Chester graduates and alumni, and The Cestrian, our official donor update for University of Chester alumni and supporters – both of which are received by thousands of fellow alumni.
“Our communications have come a long way since Chester College was founded in 1839. The first edition of The Collegian was published in 1888 and ran under the same name until 2005. Over the years, The Collegian became a mix of current student news and alumni year notes. Then, throughout the 90s, the publication became dedicated to alumni year notes, before returning to a mix of both current university news and alumni news in 1999. After a brief stint as the Chester Students’ Union magazine in 2000 (with separate year notes produced), The Collegian continued to share information about alumni activities and year notes annually.
“After the College achieved University status, The Collegian became The Cestrian from 2006 onwards. The Cestrian became a bi-annual publication from 2011-2016, with spring and autumn editions each year. In 2017, it returned to its original annual format, to coincide with the launch of our alumni blog. Fast forward a few years and we also launched ACH1EVE magazine in 2019. This publication is aimed at our new graduates, while The Cestrian retains a College era focus.
“Having studied both my undergraduate (BA (Hons) English Literature) and postgraduate (MSc Management with Marketing) degree at the University, it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to keep my fellow alumni of all ages up to date with the latest events and news here at the University, as well as sharing memories and treasure from the past. Being able to see things from my unique perspective as both an alumna and a member of staff certainly has its advantages when it comes to writing articles and editing our publications.
“ACH1EVE and The Cestrian are such essential tools in our alumni communications, and I do hope that my fellow alumni enjoy reading them for many more years to come!”
Would you like to become a guest blogger? We love hearing stories from our alumni, so whether you graduated last year or fifty years ago, get in touch and share your experiences. Please email alumni@chester.ac.uk for more information.
