A Commitment to Engagement
Photo by Dan Loh.
by Bruce Rychlik '89, Alumni Council president
In 2021, Al Masland ’79 asked me to join Dickinson’s Alumni Council. I was flattered to have received the call from Al, who coached the Dickinson women’s soccer team while I was on campus, but to be honest, I did not exactly know what the Alumni Council did or why I was asked to join.
What does the Alumni Council do?
We are a group of 25 dedicated and hardworking volunteers who engage with prospective students and parents, undergraduates, alumni and the Dickinson community. We interact through structured Dickinson-sponsored events on and off campus and through virtual programming. We also create our own annual initiatives in conjunction with the school aimed at providing invaluable services and opportunities for learning and networking, many of which have been featured in prior editions of Dickinson Magazine.
Why was I asked to join the Alumni Council?
My level of engagement, like the thousands of Alumni Council members since its founding in 1923, had been recognized by Dickinson. However, for me, that was not always the case. Up through my 25th reunion, I had not been overly involved with the school, and I honestly felt disconnected. However, on the heels of the significant advancements Dickinson had made under the leadership of Bill Durden ’71 between 1999 to 2013, I took notice and began looking for ways to re-engage.
As a professional recruiter, I decided to host annual career networking events in Boston as a resource for current students and their parents, as well as young alumni. I became more active on reunion committees, donated more consistently, and increased my understanding of and interaction with Dickinson through campus visits with my children. It turns out that a combination of these things and others led to my invitation to join the Alumni Council.
Why does engagement matter?
In the words of President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11, “We are moving Dickinson forward, and it will take all of us to create a bold and innovative future.” Our alma mater believes that our relationship should not end at graduation and needs all of us to make progress as an institution. We can benefit from one another and from Dickinson while on our journeys as lifelong learners. A vibrant, connected and engaged alumni base is also a significant reason prospective students enroll at Dickinson. It is a primary responsibility of the Alumni Council to make engagement worth your time and energy, and we are committed to doing so in connection with our college.
Through this column over the next two years, I would like to highlight your evolving relationship with Dickinson regardless of your graduation year and how much time and energy you are able to commit. I would also like to describe in greater detail what engagement can look like for all of us both on and off campus. I will also bring to light the progress of the Alumni Council and what goes on behind the scenes at the school. In closing, I will quote my very capable and dedicated predecessor Eric Fennel ’92: “Once a Dickinsonian, always a Dickinsonian. Dickinson is your forever home.”
Let’s move forward together! Please send any comments, questions or requests to brucerychlik@mac.com.
Read more from the summer 2025 issue of Dickinson Magazine.
TAKE THE NEXT STEPS
Published August 29, 2025