Marking its eighth year, Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA) will hold its annual global celebration “A Toast Heard ‘Round the World” on New Year’s Eve.
Harry Grammer, President of PGIAA Board of Directors invites members of the school’s global community (alumni, students, faculty members, staff and their families) as well as other friends of the institution to join the celebration. As we celebrate each other, we celebrate what we have accomplished together.
Across the U.S. and abroad, Pacifica Graduate Institute alumni are planning gatherings for New Year’s Eve to celebrate Pacifica’s spirit and raise the Alumni Association’s visibility. At midnight on New Year’s Eve, all are encouraged to raise a glass and ‘tweet’ their dreams for the association to #ToastPacifica2020.
View the live feed online at http://www.toastpacifica.com
PGIAA was formed on April 17, 2013, as a California 501(c) nonprofit corporation for the purpose of developing an operational and charitable membership association that supports both the alumni of Pacifica Graduate Institute and the wider community, in pursuit of developing their intellectual, spiritual, altruistic and professional capabilities.
“On New Year’s Eve, we invite the world community to join Pacifica Alumni in ‘A Toast Heard ‘Round the World’ — a celebration honoring Pacifica, its alumni and our alumni association. This celebration will expand beyond our campus and reach out to our global community. As we ring in Year 2020, we invite you to ponder the possibilities for a radical future for yourselves and the world. Let’s ask ourselves, what needs greater attention? Where can I be of more service to the whole? Raise a toast with us this New Year’s Eve.”
Pacifica has over 4800 degree-holding graduates. It began as an educational institution in 1976. The PGIAA seeks to provide alumni and the global community with opportunities for personal and professional growth, and to serve as a path for making positive changes within society through service and education.
Also coming up is the 7th annual PGIAA “Coming Home 2020” gathering on the Ladera Lane campus. Themed “The Stories We Tell and organized in conjunction with Alumni Relations Directors, Dianne Travis-Teague, “Coming Home 2020” will be held Friday, January 17 through Sunday, January 19. See www.cominghometopacifica.com/.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2019
Contact:
Dianne Travis-Teague
Director, Alumni Relations
Pacifica Graduate Institute
(805) 879-7303
PACIFICA GRADUATE INSTITUTE ALUMNI RELATIONS AND PACIFICA GRADUATE INSTITUTE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE THEIR 8TH ANNUAL GLOBAL CELEBRATION – “A TOAST HEARD ‘ROUND THE WORLD” – DECEMBER 31, 2019
(December 9, 2019 – SANTA BARBARA, CA) – Marking its eighth year, Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA) is gearing up for its annual global celebration “A Toast Heard ‘Round the World” on New Year’s Eve. Each year event organizer and Director of Alumni Relations Dianne Travis-Teague invites members of the school’s global community (alumni, students, faculty members, staff, families, and friends of the institution) to join the celebration.
At 12 midnight on New Year’s Eve, wherever in the world they are, PGIAA alumni and friends are encouraged to raise a glass and Tweet, Facebook, or Instagram their dreams for the coming year using the hashtag #ToastPacifica2020.
“On New Year’s Eve, we invite all Pacifica Alumni and friends to join in celebrating the myriad unique and diverse ways that Pacificans around the world ‘tend the soul of the world’,” states Dianne Travis-Teague, touching on the association’s motto, “Through Soul Community Thrives,” – Per Aninam, Communitas Cresit.
The Alumni Association seeks not only to provide alumni and the global community with opportunities for personal and professional growth, but also to serve as a path for making positive changes within society through service and education.
Also coming up January 17-19, 2019 is the 7th annual PGIAA “Coming Home 2020” gathering on the Ladera Lane campus. Our theme of “The Stories We Tell” welcomes participants to share in the magic of cultural, personal, and mythic storytelling. Through story, we celebrate diversity, lift up humanity, and promote intercultural respect.
New this year is an Alumni Weekend pre-event, a “Lunch and Learn” Career Workshop entitled, “Are You Ready?” It will take place on Thursday, January 16, 2020 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Barrett Center, 801 Ladera Lane, Santa Barbara, CA and is open to Pacifica students, alumni, and the public. This presentation, in partnership with LinkedIn®, will provide opportunities for planning how to create a sustainable life and work where you thrive. Participants will learn about resources and gain tips for an effective job search, including how to create a winning resume, prepare for a successful interview, and use networking to your full advantage. LinkedIn Relationship Manager Ryan Zervakos will present on how his company’s platform is a powerful tool for career advancement, networking, and job searching. This pre-event workshop is free; however, seating is limited. Please register at PGIAA.org or cominghometopacifica.org.
Day 1, Friday, January 17: PGIAA offers a sneak preview of Pacifica’s upcoming Film Conference/Festival scheduled for Autumn, 2020. The first seminar is an interactive story-creation session with Marvel’s John Bucher, called “TELLING A BETTER STORY: A Creative Seminar and Lab for Mythic Storytellers of Every Medium.” Following, Corinne Bourdeau will present, “Creating a Film Conference.”
In the afternoon, special guest speaker Alexandre O Phillippe, a writer and producer, will host a panel discussion and screening of his film, Memory: The Origin of Alien. Panelists include John Bucher, Devon Deimler, Will Linn, Patricia Danaher, and Corrine Bourdeau, and will be moderated by Glen Slater.
The Annual Chancellor’s Reception and Awards Banquet takes place on Friday evening, and is a private event by invitation only for Pacifica Alumni. This evening the names of the recipients of the V. Walter Odajnyk Scholarship, the Wendy Davee Award for Service, the Chancellor’s Award for Service, the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence, and the President’s Scholarship Initiative will be announced.
Day 2, January 18: PGIAA’s new Board President, Harry Grammer, Ph.D., will give the morning’s welcome address, followed by a workshop called Coming Home 2020, The Stories We Tell: Cultivating Community at the Fates and Graces Mythologium, presented by The Fates and Graces themselves! (Joanna Gardner, Rachel Lugn, and Stephanie Zajchowski). In the afternoon, we present a breakout session with Kelly Carlin-McCall, daughter of the late comedian, George Carlin: “How to Build a Highly Profitable Business, While Building a Better World.” Co-presenter, Melissa McFarlane, internationally recognized coach and world-renowned speaker, joins Kelly.
At 7:00 p.m., our cherished annual heartwarming, enchanting alumni Authors Spotlight evening takes place – a meet and greet with PGIAA authors who have recently published books. Attendees are invited to celebrate their powerful journeys as writers, scholars, and plain folk. The entire evening, including the book-signing and reception, is open to the pubic.
Day 3, January 19: The PGIAA Coming Home program culminates in celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with the theme of “Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Future.” This annual gathering honoring Reverend King features local community students, scholars, activists, and more, as they engage in discussions centered on The Beloved Community – A Society Based on Justice, Equal Opportunity, and Love of One’s Fellow Human Beings. Panelists include Paul Hudson, JD, Harry Grammer, PhD, Aaron Jones, James Joyce III, Jordan Killebrew, Jeremy Scruggs, Darius Simpson, and Brandyn Costa. The event is free and open to the public.
PGIAA incorporated on April 17, 2013 as a California 501(c) Nonprofit Corporation for developing an operational and charitable membership association supporting both the alumni of Pacifica Graduate Institute and the wider community in pursuit of developing their intellectual, spiritual, altruistic, and professional capabilities. Further information is available at the association’s website, https://pgiaa.org/
Established in 1976 and treasuring over 4700 graduates, Pacifica Graduate Institute is an accredited graduate school offering master’s and doctoral degree programs framed in the traditions of depth psychology. http://www.pacifica.edu.
# # #
