Host a Bison Gathering

The transition into University life can be an exciting yet daunting experience for first-year students and their families, who often grapple with questions and nerves. Fortunately, Bucknell’s Center for Alumni & Family Engagement has a program designed to provide support and guidance.

Bison Gatherings, a cherished Bucknell tradition, are resuming this summer after a four-year pandemic-related hiatus. Bison Gatherings serve as a bridge for incoming first-year students and their families to connect with current students, parents and alumni who live in their area as well as University staff who are able to provide insights into life at Bucknell.

Gatherings unfold in various settings — in backyards, at community centers and around kitchen tables — across the country. They offer a warm and inviting environment where incoming students and families can pose questions, make connections and feel part of the Bucknell community. For many, it marks the first step toward forging friendships and creating a network that will extend far beyond their college years.

Stacie Velisaris de la Parra ’88, P’19, P’22, associate director of alumni admissions & parent engagement, recalls attending a Bucknell welcome event as an incoming first-year student in July 1984.

“I remember that when I arrived on campus for my first semester, I ran into people I had met at the welcome event in Pittsburgh,” she says. “It was a reassuring feeling to arrive feeling like I already knew some people.”

As her own children, Julia de la Parra ’19 and Jack de la Parra ’22, were preparing for their first semester on campus, de la Parra attended Bison Gatherings with them. The events were so beneficial to her and her children that she wanted to continue her involvement. In 2019, she hosted a gathering at her home for the Class of 2023.

Now, in her role at Bucknell, de la Parra is working to reignite the program by recruiting families who can host an event in their area for local Bucknellians who will be part of the Class of 2028. “It’s a way to help guide a new generation of students through the transformative journey that awaits them at Bucknell,” she says.