The University of Connecticut has more than 160,000 alumni. For many of them, getting a UConn education has been more than a learning experience; it's been a life-changing experience, one they not only remember but cherish.

As a result, UConn alumni take pride in the University's achievements, follow its progress and root for their beloved Huskies. They also stay connected to the University - UCONNected - as members of the UConn Alumni Association.

"Our alumni tell us that the Alumni Association provides a meaningful way for them to honor their memories as students and stay connected with UConn," says John Feudo, executive director of the Alumni Association.

"As Association members, their ideas and suggestions help us to improve service to all alumni and build a better University."

Alumni have countless reasons for joining the Association, but in a recent national survey of UConn alumni, those who are already Association members describe their top 10 reasons for joining. Here's what they said.

Although every alum has different memories of UConn, all share one thing in common: their UConn memories last a lifetime.

For some, the memories are of good times shared with roommates and friends. For others, such as Andrea Dennis-LaVigne '03 (BGS), alumni representative to the UConn Board of Trustees, it is a reflection on "the natural beauty of the campus - and particularly the incredible sunsets along Horsebarn Hill where I worked as an animal science student."

Others also fondly remember professors who influenced their careers and their lives in significant ways.

Pat Sheehan '67 (CLAS), a former Connecticut television news anchor, says professor John Vlandis had a profound impact on his life. "He taught me the steps of preparation and the critical thinking I would use for the thousands of news interviews I conducted during my career. My undergraduate experience had a direct effect on my joining the Alumni Association."

Over the past ten years, the University has made incredible strides. The campus has become an architectural masterpiece, while the research of its faculty and the quality of its students have prompted U.S. News to rank UConn among the nation's top public institutions.

As former UConn basketball standout Donny Marshall '96 (BUS) puts it: "The rest of the country is finding out what people in Connecticut already know - how great our academic programs are and how much pride we take in them."

UConn's success has resulted in a 59 percent increase in freshman enrollment since 1995, SAT scores for incoming freshmen that have increased to 1167, a 54 point increase since 1995; and a volume of student applications that is double what it was fewer than 10 years ago.

UConn students and younger alumni take it for granted that UConn's athletic teams are in the national spotlight.

But many alumni, such as Randy LaVigne '79 (BUS), former basketball and baseball standout and now color radio analyst for UConn women's basketball games, remembers when UConn wasn't much of a blip on the national sports radar.

"I was drafted by the Cubs in 1979 and played minor league baseball in New York State. The guys I played with hadn't even heard of UConn. Now, everyone knows about UConn."

Barry Shapiro '66 (CLAS), a retired programmer at American Express, remembers "when the big thing was beating Yale in football. Not Indiana, not Wake Forest, not Iowa State, but Yale. Now I see UConn teams on TV all the time playing - and beating - the best teams in the country. Amazing."

For thousands of UConn graduates, family gatherings are akin to alumni reunions, and word of another family member going to UConn is greeted with the enthusiasm of a birth announcement.

Alumni Jim '86 (BUS) and Amy (Graziano) Sarantides '88 (ED) are passionate about UConn. For them, becoming life members of the Alumni Association provided a fitting tribute to their alma mater. "My parents went to UConn and so did I. It would be great to send our children there. Given the University's tremendous track record, it could be the best university in the country when they get there," says Amy Sarantides.

Even with her many memorable moments as a UConn student athlete, Rebecca Lobo '95 (CLAS), who was a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship, also cherishes her achievements in the classroom.

"I really enjoyed my most challenging classes while I was at UConn," she explains. "And I still remember finally getting an 'A' on a freshman year English paper from a professor who was pretty stingy with that grade."

Christine Lodewick '67 M.S., speech pathologist and UConn volunteer, remembers student life as a lot of good, hard work. "It was the hardest task of my life," she says, "but it was the most rewarding experience of my life as well."

Most think of UConn as a seat of learning and a home for research and new ideas. For Philip Lodewick '66 (BUS), '67 M.B.A., president and CEO of Tradewell Corp., UConn is more than an academic force.

"UConn is one of the region's economic engines," he says. "Most of our graduates pursue careers in the area. They are the movers and shakers in communities across the state. The fact is, decisions that UConn makes and the work of its graduates will affect all of our lives here in Connecticut for years and years to come. That makes you proud to be an alum."

For many alumni, membership in the UConn Alumni Association means helping new generations of students through the Association's numerous student scholarships.

The Alumni Association began recognizing outstanding students nearly 30 years ago by awarding scholarships. Today, Association membership helps provide more than $100,000 annually for scholarship support to UConn students.

For Meg Sakellarides '86 (BUS), CFO at Connecticut Public Television, the idea of a UConn family is a literal one.

"My best friends today are my roommates and dormmates from my days at UConn," she explains. "We've shared all kinds of experiences with one another, the good and the bad, and have watched each other grow up. We got jobs together, and in some cases we married each other. Now we're raising children together."

Rebecca Lobo thinks of the University as part of her family.

"In my junior year," she remembers, "everyone at UConn was so supportive when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. People went above and beyond the call to be helpful and considerate. Today the Alumni Association is one of the ways I maintain my connection to the UConn family."

Almost all alumni feel obligated to the University for preparing them for life.

Philip Lodewick says he owes a great deal to the University because it gave him "a chance to develop and mature, to hone my skills and sense of observation, so I could walk away from the experience knowing I was prepared for life."

Other alumni have other reasons. For Rebecca Lobo, it was because UConn taught her "how to break through any self-imposed boundaries."

For Meg Sakellarides, it was learning that "you can't score if you don't shoot."

The reason most often cited by alumni for joining the UConn Alumni Association turns out to be the most altruistic - the desire to give something back.

"UConn has given us so many opportunities," says Christine Lodewick. "We find a tremendous amount of satisfaction in giving back, providing opportunities for UConn students and strengthening the University."

For David Gang '88 (BUS), executive vice president at AOL, "The UConn experience, which starts with the people who impact your life, is literally unforgettable . It stays with you all of your life, influencing who you are and what you do. So you know it will be just as vital and unforgettable to the next generation of students."

As Meg Sakellarides notes, the thing about giving back to UConn and becoming a member of the UConn Alumni Association is that it always begins with a "thank you."

Whatever reason you choose to stay connected to the University, most alumni do it by joining the UConn Alumni Association.

As the University's official organization for alumni, the Association is a worldwide organization of UConn grads who:

• Share memories of their UConn experience.
• Take pride in UConn's accomplishments.
• Give back in many ways to the University.
• Want to stay connected to all that's happening today at UConn.

Annual membership starts at only $40.

With it, you get plenty of benefits, including Pre-Game Huddles before home football games, invitations to Tip-Off Dinners before many home basketball games, and discounts at hotels, movie theaters and the UConn Co-op.

The most compelling reason for joining the UConn Alumni Association is an opportunity to officially commemorate your life-long connection to UConn.

After all, once a Husky, always a Husky.

Become a member today and join the tens of thousands of proud alumni cheering, "Go Huskies!"