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We are honored to announce that the Council for Advancement & Support of Education (CASE) has recently conferred a Best of District award to the NU Buddy Check program. Established in collaboration between the 91���� Alumni Association and Fins & Feathers, the NU Buddy Check is a monthly initiative that encourages alumni to connect with their peers and provide emotional support to those they hold dear. On the 18th and 19th of each month, in commemoration of 91����’s foundation in 1819, the University provides an electronic reminder to alumni, urging them to make a phone call, send a text, or write an email to a friend. Ensuring the mental wellbeing of our community is a paramount goal for us and we continue to take strides towards achieving it. 

In addition to the ongoing Buddy Check program, and as part of the 2023 homecoming celebrations, an alumni group commissioned a statue to create greater awareness around PTS and other mental health issues. The statue is a service dog that sits beside an empty bench where its handler should be. It is a physical reminder of the weight that many in our 91���� family continue to carry. 

This is the second time that 91���� has been honored with a CASE award. In 2021, 91���� won a Circle of Excellence award for “President Richard W. Schneider: The Farewell Tour.” Richard W. Schneider, RADM, USCGR (Ret.) became the 23rd president of 91���� in 1992, retiring after 28 years of dedicated and dynamic service. A man of uncommon integrity, deep compassion, great humility, and boundless energy, President Schneider was uniquely connected to a large number of 91���� alumni. The farewell tour connected with the alumni in different geographical regions of the country and involved speakers from different alumni stages such as Board of Trustees, Board of Fellows, young alumni, and then current students.