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About St. Mary's College of Maryland

Get Involved

Alumni > Get Involved

We empower alumni to leverage their expertise, showcase their talent and give back to the SMCM community.

Four people sit around a table in a meeting room at St. Mary's College of Maryland, with laptops and papers, engaged in discussion. A screen and college sign are visible in the background.

Mentor-a-Seahawk

The Mentor-a-Seahawk Program at St. Mary’s College of Maryland is designed to help students prepare for life beyond college by connecting them with SMCM alumni for advice.

This program is a key component of LEAD 112, “Career & Network Navigation II,” a required course for all students to learn about career and professional development. Most in this course are first-year students, though there may be transfer students and individuals with varying degrees of work experience and career goals.

By volunteering to be a mentor, you can use your valuable experience and insights to help SMCM students grow and develop their professional skills and network. Mentors will be manually matched to students by the Center for Career & Professional Development. Each individual is different, so the degree of similarities between you and your mentee(s) may vary.

Mentors are expected to meet with their mentee(s) at least four times during the semester: first to connect early in the semester for an informational interview, then to examine and discuss career readiness skills and conduct a mock interview in the middle of the semester, and finally to connect for an end-of-semester wrap-up. You are of course welcome to meet with your mentee more often if you both wish to do so. Meetings can be conducted virtually or in-person.

Interested?

We are currently recruiting mentors for the spring 2026 semester. Complete this brief mentor application to support our current Seahawks this spring. We’re looking for 350 alumni mentors to sign up by January 25, 2026.

Contact us at alumnioffice@smcm.edu for more information or to make further inquiries.

Refer-a-Seahawk

Encourage talented students to consider St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

  • Alumni can be the most compelling voices for prospective families.
  • You can help make the St. Mary’s College experience possible for future Seahawks by referring up to three talented students (per single alumni) to the Office of Admission each year.
  • Referrals are welcome for high school students in any grade as well as for transfer students.
  • Students do not need to be ready to apply.
  • This form simply ensures that the referred student will receive Admission materials and qualifies them for a $50 application fee waiver at the time of their application.
  • Help launch a future Seahawk by referring a prospective student today.
Six smiling students stand close together outside a building, wearing St. Mary’s College of Maryland athletic apparel.
A group of 25 people pose together on the steps in front of a gray house with white trim and railings.

SAGE

Seahawks Advancing Graduate Engagement

Calling all student leaders! Are you one of St. Mary’s biggest fans? Do you love to wave the Seahawk banner? Would you like to represent the College in photoshoots and at exclusive events both on and off-campus? Join SAGE! SAGE (Seahawks Advancing Graduate Engagement) is SMCM’s premier student leadership group, led by the Office of Alumni Relations. Members support high-level College programs and initiatives.

Benefits

  • Free SMCM logo merchandise regularly
  • Catered meals at every monthly meeting from restaurants like Chipotle, Panera, and more!
  • Behind-the-scenes access to high-level College events like Hawktoberfest, Giving Tuesday, and more
  • Exclusive participation in official campus photoshoots and marketing initiatives
  • Professional development in high-demand skills like event management and venue logistics
  • Opportunities to travel for events in major cities across the state
  • Private study space in the Alumni Center at Cobb House during all business hours
  • Invaluable networking opportunities with alumni and donors

Expectations

  • Attend group meetings once a month and respond to all communications in a timely manner
  • Reliably volunteer for campus initiatives like Hawktoberfest, Giving Tuesday, etc.
  • Provide testimonials for publication and participate in marketing photoshoots
  • Serve as an ambassador representing Alumni Relations to the greater student body
  • Maintain professionalism in interactions with community members and visitors

Cohort Recruitment

  • The SAGE recruitment cycle takes place annually in September with the start of the fall semester.

Alumni Awards

Recognizing Outstanding Alumni

The Alumni Association recognizes exceptional members of St. Mary’s College of Maryland community through the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Society of Distinguished Alumni Award and Honorary Alumni Award.

Nomination Process

  • The Alumni Council Scholarship and Recognition Committee selects all successful candidates. Past winners have displayed outstanding service in their communities and exemplary work throughout their school and professional careers.
  • Applications open each fall; watch out for announcements and deadline reminders in our newsletters and social media.

Presentation of Alumni Awards

Awardees will be invited to our annual presentation ceremony at Alumni Weekend. All awardees will have nameplates added to the respective plaque, displayed year-round in the Alumni Center.

A group of people attend an alumni association meeting in a bright room; a man stands at a podium and a woman sits at a table with a blue tablecloth bearing the association's logo.
A large group of people, mostly wearing sports uniforms, pose together on a field in front of a scoreboard at Jamie L. Roberts Stadium.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Established in 2006 by the Alumni Association, this award recognizes young alumni who have attained prominence through exceptional career achievements and dedication to public service.

Selection Criteria

  • In order to qualify for this award, a nominee must:
    • Be a graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland within the last ten years
    • Have attained prominence through their professional achievements
    • Show leadership and dedication to public welfare in the form of community, public, or humanitarian service
    • Have demonstrated exceptional initiative or innovation in their professional or service work

Honorary Alumni Award

Established in 1932, this award recognizes friends of the College whose untiring efforts on its behalf have been significant and noteworthy.

Selection Criteria

  • In order to qualify for this award, a nominee must:
    • Have a connection to St. Mary’s College as a staff member, professor, administrator, or friend of the College
    • Have a connection to St. Mary’s College for at least five (5) years
    • Have distinguished themselves, and/or have received recognition in public or private life, for at least two of the following:
      • Fostering meaningful connections with students, alumni, faculty, staff and administrators as a mentor, guest lecturer, volunteer, etc.
      • Playing a significant role in alumni and College events
        promoting the College
      • Supporting the Alumni Association in its mission, either through financial contributions, in-kind contributions, service, and/or
      • Providing significant financial contributions to programs that support scholarship, athletics, or special programs at St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Society of Distinguished Alumni

Established in 1995 by the Alumni Association and the Office of Student Development, this award recognizes alumni who have gained distinction through significant accomplishments in their chosen profession.

Selection Criteria

  • In order to qualify for this award, a nominee must:
    • Be a graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland or its predecessor institutions
    • Have attained prominence among his or her peers for contributions made in his or her profession or community
    • Demonstrate such integrity and ability that alumni, students, faculty, and staff of the College will take pride in, and be inspired by,
    • Their recognition reflect in deed or action the importance of their education at St. Mary’s and demonstrate pride in their alma mater

Athletic Hall of Fame

The Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1990 to recognize outstanding athletes, coaches, and staff who have been associated with the College. This group represents the highest distinction in St. Mary’s sport.

Athletic Hall of Fame Award

Selection Criteria

  • In order to qualify for this award, a nominee must:
    • Be connected to the St. Mary’s College athletic program as either a player, coach, or staff member
    • Have been away from their role with St. Mary’s College for five (5) or more years
    • Have been either an all-conference, all-region, and/or all-American selection or record holder, or garnered national recognition
    • Be a positive role model for our student-athletes
  • The Athletic Hall of Fame also includes Legends. Most of the criteria to become a Legend is the same as being inducted as a Hall of Fame member. What differs is that while the nominee may not have achieved a level of recognition such as that of record holder or all-conference status, the nominee nonetheless was distinguished in their significant contribution, incentive or inspiration to the team(s) and/or has received recognition in public or private life for their accomplishments and achievements. In addition, nominees do not need to be away from their role with St. Mary's College for five (5) or more years.
A group of eight people stand outside a building, holding a St. Mary's College of Maryland Hawks flag, with palm trees and cars in the background.

Join an Alumni Chapter

The following chapters are officially recognized by the Alumni Council as branches of the Alumni Association and are open to any St. Mary’s alumna/us who wishes to become a member.

Regional Chapters

  • Annapolis Alumni Chapter
  • Baltimore Metro Alumni Chapter
  • Boston Regional Alumni Chapter
  • California Bay Area Alumni Chapter
  • Chicago Regional Alumni Chapter
  • Denver Regional Alumni Chapter
  • New York City Regional Alumni Chapter
  • Philadelphia Regional Alumni Chapter
  • Southern Maryland Alumni Chapter
  • Washington D.C. Metro Alumni Chapter
  • Western Maryland Alumni Chapter

Affinity Chapters

  • Black Alumni Chapter
  • Theater, Film, & Media Studies Alumni Chapter

Join the Alumni Council

Shape the future of SMCM alumni engagement.

The Alumni Council is a diverse group of graduates committed to representing and serving our alumni community. All St. Mary’s College alumni are eligible to serve and can be nominated by themselves or their peers.

Pick a Position that Suits Your Bandwidth

  • Elected Members - Elected members represent the greater alumni community as voting members of the Alumni Council.
  • Student Members - Student members help connect the Alumni Council with the greater student community.
  • Chapter Presidents - Regional Alumni Chapter Presidents represent their geographic constituents.
  • Network Chairs - Affinity Network Chairs represent constituents grouped around a common interest.
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