Founding AYF Alumni & Friends e.V.: Bringing past, current and future AYFers together

By Brendan Ryan, AYF 2013-14

 On October 25th, 2015, nine former students of the Academic Year in Freiburg study abroad program officially founded an outreach and networking organization for alumni of the AYF program (formerly known as Junior Year in Freiburg). While this organization is based in Freiburg, the members hope that its activities will engage past, present and future AYFers as well as friends and family all around the world.

Supported by Ulli Struve, the club’s founding members set in stone the charitable nature of this organization and formulated a charter. The founders represent a decade and a half of AYFers who found their way back to Südbaden and were excited to chat amongst themselves about their motives for coming back to (or never leaving) Freiburg – along with the hurdles and accomplishments that an international life requires.

Although the group’s members may be finding themselves at different stages in their lives – from student to Berufseinsteiger to parent everyone is represented – they all share the common bond that their study abroad experience has become a bedrock for their later life adventures, and we want to make sure that this remains true for all current and future AYFers.

During our founding meeting, the current group voted on the inaugural leadership of the AYF Alumni & Friends e.V., a non-profit civic association under German law, and discussed the future outreach activities of the club. We hope to keep up an ongoing conversation with current AYFers and put on some event(s) for them. We wish to connect with former Freiburg alumni from the Junior Year and Academic Year in Freiburg wherever in the world you may be by maintaining a club website and supporting AYF Reunions. To strengthen the AYF program and support future generations of students, we plan to start a fund-raising campaign for travel grants and stipends.

If you or someone you know may be interested in becoming a member of AYF Alumni & Friends e.V., the European chapter of the AYF Alumni Association, check out our website at http://ayf-alumni.de/ or get in contact with us via email at info@ayf-alumni.org.

An American chapter of the AYF Alumni Association is in the planning stages. Please don’t hesitate to contact Barbara Jedele (AYF 2010-11) for additional information on the American chapter.