Alumni
Alumni
The Santhosha Vidhyalaya Alumni Association (SVAA) is a vibrant body with a planned programme of annual events and activities. It plays a key role in shaping the educational and residential experience at Santhosha Vidhyalaya. It was registered as a society in 2014 with a two-fold objective of creating a forum for alumni to connect with each other and consequently engage for the betterment of alumni and school.
The Origin
Throughout the history of the school, the alumni have played an important part of the ecosystem contributing through various ways. In the initial years, the alumni operated in small units of a batch or group in helping the school. Older alumni from the 1980s batches were quite active in the early years. In the dawn of the social media era, circa 2006, the first pan-alumni forums were created on platforms such as Yahoo! Groups and Orkut. In these platforms, the alumni connected on past shared
experiences.
In 2007, the School organized the Silver Jubilee celebrations inviting all alumni to the school. An alumni music CD for the Silver Jubilee event was produced with the help of alumni musicians/singers at Chennai. The Silver Jubilee celebration was a big success in bringing together the alumni. Riding on these connections, the Alumni Newsletter ‘The Dohnavur Post’ was launched in 2008 from a virtual office at Bangalore. What this digital newsletter did was to create a small forum for alumni to speak about their experiences and perspectives on all things connected to school. As it is with most other things, these small beginnings grow into larger initiatives. Soon the Kitchen Project, a pan-alumni initiative was born in these forums. Meanwhile alumni all over the country and abroad were meeting up and connecting. The idea of forming a formal alumni association was germinating in many an alumnus mind.
In 2013, a small group of alumni met up to rekindle the idea of forming the alumni association. By now, the need to ‘collectivize and consolidate’ was apparent. Soon, with the sole aim of forming the alumni association, a meet up in Bangalore and Chennai in quick succession to gain support for the idea. Later that year, the first Alumni Meet was organized at Mahabalipuram, Chennai. Over 100 alumni across batches participated making it a grand success.
Alumni Association
The Alumni Association was registered in 2013 at the SV Campus, Dohnavur. Our Alumni Association is a vibrant and supportive community dedicated to fostering strong connections among graduates. It actively engages alumni in the development of the school and its current students, organizing events, providing mentorship, and raising funds for various initiatives. The association’s ongoing involvement plays a crucial role in enriching the educational experience and maintaining the school’s legacy of excellence.
Alumni Contributions
We are profoundly thankful to our alumni, who enthusiastically engage in the development of our school, benefiting students, staff, and the broader school community.
Registration of SVAA
Following the 2013 Alumni Meet, all measures were taken to formalize and register an organization. The idea of the alumni association as an independent body (unlike the traditional method of being run by the school) was presented to the School Board citing the benefits of the model. In December 2014 SVAA was registered as a society in Tirunelveli.
The two fold objective of SVAA was to “facilitate a common forum for the alumni to interact with and help each other in all aspects of life” and “collectivize and formalize efforts of the alumni in helping the School”. The two objectives acted as the two wings of a bird, helping balance the focus and progress. The Alumni Meet became an annual event of SVAA. SVAA operated with an annual programme with activities at school and outside.
Years of growth
In 2017, new members joined the office bearers team of SVAA to lead SVAA to the next level. In 2018 SVAA nominated an alumnus to the School Board and who eventually became the President of the School Governing Board leading the School to greater heights.
Now the organization has completed 10+ years of impact. Looking forward to many more milestones.
Alumni Social Media
Mentorship Programs and Academic Support
Alumni actively participate in conducting staff and student development programs throughout the academic year. The programs include staff orientation, career development, media coaching, student engagement, retreats, consultation and many others. These programs are instrumental in building a culture of excellence resulting in personal and professional growth of the staff and students.
Modernization Projects
Alumni have made significant contributions in enhancing the school’s facilities. The Kitchen Project, initiated and driven by Alumni presented a modern kitchen equipped with advanced utensils and boilers, greatly improving our culinary capabilities. The setting up of Smart Classrooms to bring in modern learning. The commercial washing machine project by alumni significantly reduced the burden of manual labor of staff, thereby improving overall efficiency and working conditions. The modernization of essential areas of hostel by an alumnus greatly improved the residential experience of students. Above are the highlights of the projects driven by the Alumni.
Student Sponsorship
Alumni play a significant role in sponsoring and channelizing sponsorship for current students of the school. The generous and selfless work in sponsorship programs by alumni are crucial in ensuring that financial barriers do not hinder academic success.
Seasonal Gifts & Financial Assistance
Alumni come together to pool their resources, raising funds to provide thoughtful gifts for both current and retired staff members during Christmas and other emergencies.
