Chicago Event Brings Alumni Together
April 23, 2024
Twenty five Cretin, Derham Hall and Cretin-Derham Hall alumni from across generations gathered in Chicago on April 18 for this year’s Alumni Event at Siena Tavern, River North. The event welcomed attendees spanning from the Cretin Class of 1969 to recent CDH graduates of 2018.
There were some new faces at the event this year. Recent transplants to Chicago, Charlie Pythian '18, Mike Mancini '17 and Alex Budka '17 were in attendance and able to mingle with longtime Chicago residents Tom Hays '69, Jim Weinberger '85, Derek Rylicki '88 and Andy Soucheray '92. "Chicago is a new home for me, so I was really excited to hear about the Chicago happy hour being put on for CDH alumni," noted Phythian. "It was great to get together with fellow Raiders and even some old teammates I didn’t know lived in the city." For Andrew Traxler '14, the event is always a great opportunity to reconnect with former classmates and meet other Raiders. "The event reminds me of the strong Cretin-Derham Hall community that expands beyond the Twin Cities."
While catching up on personal and professional endeavors was part of the agenda, many alumni found themselves gravitating towards discussions about CDH. Sean Van Gemert ’96, co-host and CDH representative, enjoyed hearing what the alumni are up to now and pointed out that "every alumni I spoke to wanted to hear about CDH and what was going on at the school." Steve Walsh '85, another co-host and CDH representative, shared details with the group of the exciting events and construction happening at CDH. "Our Chicago alumni are always interested in what is happening 'back home' and they feel really connected to each other when we can bring them together at these events."
Looking ahead, the CDH Alumni Advancement team plans to expand their reach beyond Chicago, creating satellite groups in various locations across the United States. Boston, New York City, Denver, and Seattle are among the targeted cities for future events to connect our expansive alumni group. We hope to expand on other events for local engagement with Vikings, Wild or Timberwolves Watch Parties or networking events to connect our 'New to Chicago' alumni.
For those interested in joining these communities or participating in upcoming events, please contact Megan Smith, Alumni Relations & Events Coordinator.