Alumni

The Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award is presented for service to Perkiomen School. The recipient shall be one who, through unselfish interest, loyalty, or personal commitment, has enhanced the quality of life in the Perkiomen School community and promoted the prestige of the School. The Alumnus/Alumna of the Year Award recognizes someone who has served Perkiomen School from their heart with their time and talents. The first award was given in 2006 to Jim Schulz ’81 P’02,’11, who inspired the Alumni Council to create this award.

The Young Alumni Achievement Award is given for outstanding achievement in a chosen field. The recipient shall be one who has brought honor to him or herself and Perkiomen School by achieving recognition and respect within their field. An alumnus/alumna must be nominated by a member of Perkiomen School community and have graduated within the last 25 years.

The Honorary Alumnus/Alumna Award is presented in recognition of one’s valuable service to the school or interest shown in its progress and welfare. One of the first accomplishments of the Perkiomen School Alumni Association when it was first founded more than 110 years ago was the establishment of the Honorary Alumnus Award. The Association established this award within its first year of existence. The first award was presented in 1896, and to date, over 106 individuals have been so honored.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented for outstanding achievement in both of the following areas.

Service to the Community: The recipient shall be one who has brought honor to him or herself and to Perkiomen School by service to others at a local, state, national or international level.

Outstanding Achievement in a Chosen Field: The recipient shall be one who has brought honor to him or herself and Perkiomen School by achieving recognition and respect within a chosen field.

A member of the Perkiomen School Community must nominate an alumnus/alumna.

The Carl Pfrommer Distinguished Service Award, formerly known as the Perkiomen Key for Distinguished Service, represents the highest honor the school bestows upon one who has given continued support to Perkiomen and has been willing to give his or her time, energies, and talents insofar as location and opportunity have permitted. The recipient will have contributed significantly to the civic, governmental, religious, educational, social, industrial, business, or professional life of the nation, state, or community.

MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS There shall be three (3) categories of membership: athlete, coach, and contributor, for each of which the following selection criteria are specified:

• Athlete – Individuals (Male or Female) selected to membership in this category shall:
  • have graduated 10 or more years from Perkiomen and excelled in one or more varsity sports at Perkiomen School as an undergraduate, and
  • in most instances, shall subsequently have gained outstanding success in their respective sports at college or professional levels, as reflected by objective performance data (when available), won-lost records, championship titles, all-star team selection, etc.
  • (while specific guidelines are not indicated) it is intended that all candidates considered for membership shall epitomize responsible citizenship and good sportsmanship, and shall have gained recognition as truly superior performers in their respective sports.
• Coach – Membership shall be granted to The Perkiomen School coaches who have demonstrated strong moral leadership and outstanding coaching expertise in one or more sports as reflected by the performance records of their teams and/or significance in the eyes of those coached.
  • Former athletes who subsequently pursue coaching careers in school, college, or professional ranks shall be eligible for membership consideration in accordance with the criteria outlined in the preceding paragraph.
  • As in the selection of athletic members, the intent in this category is to recognize only those who have achieved truly outstanding success in the coaching field.
• Contributor – This category of membership shall serve to provide appropriate recognition for those who make truly significant contributions to The Perkiomen School athletic program in capacities other than athlete or coach. Conceivably, this type of membership would be available to school physicians and others who contribute beyond the call of duty to the success of the program.
  • Team managers, sports officials, and journalists would fall into this category, as would financial contributors with special interest in athletics. Guidelines, while deliberately general in language, are intended to confine selection to those whose contribution is truly outstanding.

1. NOMINATIONS
   • Nominations for election to membership may be made by members of the Perkiomen School community.
   • Nominations must be submitted in writing with complete and accurate supporting documentation to the attention of the Director of Athletics.
2. ELECTION
   • A committee comprised of the director of athletics, director of alumni affairs and a Perkiomen alumnus will review the nominations and will vote on the nominees. Those elected will be subject to approval the headmaster.
3. INDUCTION
   • Induction of those elected to the Hall of Athletic Honor will take place at the Annual Alumni Weekend at Perkiomen School.
   • Inductees, or their representatives, will be presented with an appropriate memento in recognition of their election to the Hall of Athletic Honor.
   • Inductees will have their names permanently displayed in the Hollenbach Athletic Center.

The Ralph Hossman Award is presented to the alumnus/alumna who has overcome life impairing conditions or adversity, and who through fortitude and determination refused to fail, thereby providing an inspiration and example to all of us.

Perkiomen depends on the philanthropic gifts of alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends. Each year, Perkiomen solicits support specifically from our alumni community and we would appreciate your help connecting with them. You can volunteer to encourage alumni to give, share your story about why supporting Perkiomen is important to you, call to thank donors, or add a personal touch to our letters. Your connections will make a difference and any time commitment – short or long – will be worthwhile.

Consider organizing and hosting a casual Alumni Meet-up in your hometown. In addition to our regular Alumni Gatherings, we are encouraging alumni to host informal events for fellow alumni all over the world. If you have access to a special venue or experience, we’d love for you to welcome alumni to join you, reconnect and network.

Giving back to Perkiomen is so easy for college students! Join the “How to Succeed in College” Panel. Alumni in college and graduate school return to campus to share their experiences and discuss a wide range of topics related to college life. Share your infinite wisdom, while giving back to Perkiomen. Time commitment is approximately one hour, followed by lunch.

Student Mentoring
Perkiomen is looking to connect professionals with our students in the entrepreneur program. Be a mentor, collaborate with students on projects, offer internships, be a sounding board or offer visits to your place of business. If you don’t live locally you can still participate.

Alumni Mentoring
Today’s young alumni are facing a challenging work environment and are looking for career advice and a guiding hand in finding internships and job placements. The Alumni Office will work to match young alumni and alumni mentors based on common professional interests. Mentor and mentee applications are available below. Once a mentor and mentee have been matched, they will make their own arrangements for meetings and conversations.

Click here for Mentor/Mentee application.

Great faculty aren’t just located on Seminary Street. By bringing distinguished alumni to campus Perkiomen broadens the educational experience of our students and the community. Be a part of this group of as we welcome our smartest, most engaging, and influential alumni to campus, to encourage thought-provoking conversations and ideas as we risk becoming our best.

The STEM and STEAM series was established in 2013. This program seeks to connect alumni involved in the fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and math with current students and others in our community. During class and evening lectures, alumni have covered a variety of topics including aerospace and rocket engineering, statistics and laboratory methods, genetic causes of inherited blindness, disease mutation, and nuclear engineering. You can also connect with classes via SKYPE if your location prevents a visit to campus.

Perkiomen endeavors to have the most up-to-date information on our entire alumni community. To keep the connection with Perkiomen strong, our alumni and professional databases must be current. Alumni data volunteers can work from anywhere in the world to help update Perkiomen’s database. The gathering of current email addresses is especially important so that alumni can receive invitations, reunion news, and the Alumni E-Newsletter.

Share with others why you support Perkiomen and help others follow your lead. Testimonials are helpful in personalizing the Perkiomen experience and not only help with fundraising, but are crucial for admissions and retention. Your thoughts may be shared in print and online, and the length can vary from a few sentences to a full article. Contact Diana Weir-Smith ’85, P’19 today!

The Perkiomen School offers a variety of ways for parents from all over the world to be involved with the school community. Contact Shauna Betof for more information.