Photo credit for images 1 and 2: Evan Kutsko
Dear Echols Alumni,
We are at the end of another busy academic year in the Echols Scholars Program, but our highlight, by far, was the 65th Anniversary Reunion Weekend, held this past March in Charlottesville. We had over one hundred alumni come to reminisce, reflect, and make new connections. It was a meaningful experience for me to be able to watch the care you have for one another and for this wonderful program. If you weren’t able to come, I hope you’ll catch up on the highlights in this feature about the event.
Rather than mark the end of something, this is only the beginning: we want to continue hearing from and connecting with you.
We will be hosting our first ever Echols Alumni Weekend on October 16-17, 2026, in Charlottesville, featuring a “Planning Summit” and dinner on Friday, and a lunch with students on Saturday. You’re invited to come one or both days. If you have ideas that you want to share—or even to begin putting into action—I hope you’ll join us on Friday for the Planning Summit. And if you’ve wanted to connect and share your expertise and experiences with students, they are eager to meet you on Saturday.
Registration will open Monday, August 3, 2026. Until then, we invite you now to complete our Planning to Attend form to indicate your interest. This will help us in selecting an appropriate venue and will make sure you’re the first to receive the registration link. There will be no cost to attend this event.
Look out for our next newsletter later this summer, when we will share about some exciting new initiatives for students we are rolling out, including an ambitious new peer mentoring program, led by our program coordinator, Ana Harrington. In the meantime, stay up to date by following our LinkedIn page.
Sincerely,
Karl Shuve
Director, Echols Scholars Program