Penn Traditions is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year by rebranding and with extra alumni events.
The organization, which was founded by Senior Executive Director of Alumni Relations Elise Betz in 2002 and held its first event in 2004, operates under the Penn Alumni umbrella with the mission to “celebrate Penn’s history and traditions, connect students and alumni, and promote and inspire lifelong Penn pride." Penn Traditions, a student-run organization overseen by Alumni Relations, oversees University events including Highball to Heyday, Final Toast, and the incoming class picture on Franklin Field.
The organization underwent a rebrand in preparation for this year’s anniversary, including a new logo, organizational structure, website, and TikTok account.
“We're just trying to grow our voice on campus because I think a lot of people know about Penn Traditions, but they don't know that it's run fully by students,” College junior and Penn Traditions Student President Noah Milad said.
Associate Director of Penn Traditions Susanna Kelley wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian to clarify that — while Penn Traditions is a student organization entirely led by students — it is also part of a broader program overseen by Alumni Relations. Kelley added that larger events ran by Penn Traditions, such as the incoming class picture and Highball to Heyday, are planned and run by staff with "the support of student volunteers from Penn Traditions."
The anniversary celebration will take place next semester during Penn Traditions' annual Alumni Leadership Retreat and will feature a party, panel, and opportunities for students and alumni to network and connect.
“We’re inviting alumni and current students to come and learn about what Penn Traditions is and what we’ve done over the past twenty years,” Milad said. “Penn Traditions is all about connecting alumni with current students, and that’s what we want to continue to do through this celebration.”
2024 College graduate and former Penn Traditions Student President Hertha Torre Gallego also praised the organization's recent growth.
“When I first joined, my committee had maybe four or five members; a few years later, we were up to 60-80 students involved as well as hundreds of people volunteering for alumni weekend, all putting on these massive events that are student run," she said.
When asked about plans to celebrate this year’s milestone, Milad said Penn Traditions hopes to "go big or go home."
"Expect to see something big and extravagant," he added. "We want to give it our all and make it a semester where Penn traditions are at the forefront of Penn pride.”
College sophomore and Engagement Ambassador Co-chair for Penn Traditions Kylee Countryman, who is also a staffer for the DP, said that the organization helped her find a sense of belonging.
“When I first came to Penn, I felt a bit of a disconnect,” Countryman said. “I didn’t have that same pride or involvement I’d felt in high school … However, joining Penn Traditions was the best decision I could’ve made. We are more than a club, we are a family.”
Betz told the DP that she started the organization because she realized that Penn had a gap between student life and alumni engagement — one that was typically bridged at other Ivy League universities.
“It wasn't just automatic that, if you had a great experience as a student, you would engage as an alum once you graduated,” Betz added.
Betz said that, in 2002, then-Penn President Judith Rodin noted that Penn alumni contributions were far lower than other Ivy League universities and asked Betz to create a plan to encourage students' to show their Penn pride by contributing to the University. Betz's plan was to create a “fun, imaginative, comprehensive program" to engage students and help them see Penn as "a lifetime commitment, not just four years.”
In partnership with the President’s Office, Provost’s Office, Development and Alumni Relations, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees, the program officially launched its first event in 2004. Betz said that, during the past 20 years, “there has been a significant cultural shift at the University."
“I would say that culture change can be attributed to Penn Traditions,” Betz added. “It's really about connecting more students to alumni and vice versa, creating an opportunity for more students to feel that lifelong connection and want to come back and support the current student population."
Editor's Note: This piece was updated to include an additional statement from Penn Traditions about Alumni Relations' involvement in the program.
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