News
Left to right: Constance Mourning, Phil Gordon, Winston Berkman, and John Hoopes
Class of 2010 elects peer leaders to Tufts Alumni Council
May 17, 2010
The Tufts University Alumni Association welcomes Winston Berkman, Phil Gordon, John Hoopes, and Constance Mourning as the elected Class of 2010 Transitional Members to the Tufts Alumni Council. The four were selected by their classmates among a very competitive field of 15 candidates seeking the volunteer opportunity. Since the year 2000, the Tufts Alumni Council has made available four positions for graduating seniors in effort to expand the role of young alumni leadership.
The Class of 2010 voted at a high rate, showing their commitment to active involvement in the Tufts community, even after graduation. The newly elected members represent the diverse interests and backgrounds of the Tufts community and have been a very engaged group while on campus these past four years.
Winston Berkman graduated from high school in Cleveland, Ohio, but the summer before he moved to Tufts his family moved to Boston. As a freshman, he spent his first year getting to know Boston as his new home and as a student. Starting freshman year, he became an admissions tour guide, and continued through his senior year. Sophomore year, Winston co-authored a food column for the Tufts Daily, joined a group working to raise awareness about sexual violence on college campuses, and interned for Governor Deval Patrick. It was at this internship that Winston gained his interest in Massachusetts state politics, something he has maintained to this day. His interests in International Relations and French (his two majors) led Winston to spend his entire junior year studying abroad with the Tufts program in Paris. His last year at Tufts, he was an Executive Orientation Leader for incoming freshmen, joined the IR Honors Society (Sigma Iota Rho) as chapter president, and have become active in Haiti relief efforts on campus. As an Alumni Council member, Winston hopes that he can recent graduates use Tufts’ strong alumni community as both a social and professional network.
Born in New Hartford, New York, Phil Gordon transitioned from the fairly rural life of Central New York to the bustling life of Tufts and Boston with the help of the friends he met his freshmen year in Tilton Hall. His initial welcoming experience has proven itself to be the norm and not the exception throughout Phil’s time here at Tufts. Whether he plays rugby, works at the CEEO, or just talks to his electrical engineering classmates, Phil finds that making friends here is incredibly easy as everyone has a stereotypically Tuftonian open demeanor. Academically, his time at Tufts has been very successful – he has made the Dean’s List every semester and will be pursuing a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. He is also the recipient of the Howard Sample Prize Scholarship in Physics and the treasurer of the Tufts Rugby Team for the past two years. As an Alumni Council Member, Phil’s goal is to make sure that spirit of openness and helpfulness is maintained after graduation amongst alumni and between alumni and the current students.
John Hoopes is a graduating senior hailing from Golden, Colorado, double majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies. Since his freshman year, he has been involved in a diverse array of activities and organizations at Tufts, including Tufts Dance Collective, of which he is an executive board member, and a staff member and leader for Tufts Wilderness Orientation. John has had many opportunities to spend time abroad through Tufts. He studied in Talliores, France, at the Tufts European Center after his freshman year. As a Neubauer Scholar, he participated in a sustainable development service and learning trip with the Institute for Global Leadership to Nicaragua and a six-week renewable energy research trip through India. He also spent his junior year abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As an Alumni Council member, John hopes to facilitate graduating seniors with a smooth transition to the professional world by improving networking opportunities and to continue the Alumni Association's mission to improve the Tufts undergraduate experience.
Constance Mourning, also known as CJ, is from San Francisco, California, and is very involved on campus as an undergraduate. On campus, she has been involved with the TCU Senate, Programming Board, Senior Class Council as vice president of social programming, LIFT (formerly known as National Student Partnerships), Imaginet (a marketing and advertising group on campus), and other volunteer groups through LCS. She is no stranger to the TUAA as she was on the Alumni Association's Student Issues and Activities Committee. Her experience will certainly help her bring the most out of being a Tufts alumna and leaving a strong legacy at Tufts.
The four will be officially inducted into the Alumni Council at TUAA’s fall 2010 meeting with a welcome from incoming Alumni Association President, Barbara Clarke, J88.
Post a Comment