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As we enter the final year of the $2.5 billion Campaign for NYU, we decided to continue our Campaign series with an interview with Brett Rochkind (STERN ’98), one of the founders of the Young Alumni Leadership Circle (YALC).
This fall, YALC celebrates its fifth anniversary as an all-University networking and giving society for alumni from the past 15 years (alumni who graduated between 1993–2007 who give at qualifying levels are eligible to join).
We spoke with Brett about why he and co-founders Vishal Garg (STERN ’98) and Bryan Sloane (STERN ’02) decided to form YALC and how the group has flourished over the past five years.
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 Young Alumni Leadership Circle members at a reception in their honor. Inset, Brett Rochkind (STERN ’98).
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What is the Young Alumni Leadership Circle (YALC) and why did you and Vishal and Bryan join together to form it?
After graduation, I moved to California, to Israel, and then back to New York. When I returned, I was looking for a way to get reconnected with NYU. We wanted to build a group of recent graduates who were progressing in their careers who wanted to give back to the University. I had a lot of friends from Stern, but I also wanted to get to know alumni from other schools in the University. We wanted to build a group that was a cross section of all young alumni and open up opportunities for them to meet other alumni leaders from the Alumni Association and the Board of Trustees.
Why is YALC important to the University’s future?
NYU is a big school and it is easy to get lost in the periphery. But we still have the opportunity to leave our mark and make a difference. Through the Young Alumni Leadership Circle, we can all make a difference and lend our contribution to improving and making concrete steps to building NYU into a leading force in higher education. Our contributions large and small make it possible for the University to continue to offer tuition assistance to deserving students, recruit and retain leading faculty, and provide a quality residence life environment for over 10,000 students who call NYU dormitories home.
How can other young alumni get involved in YALC?
For many years now, NYU has lost touch with its alumni, especially those who have graduated in the last 15 years. There are many ways to get involved with the school from giving your time and effort, providing mentorship and lending your network, and also donating. Our group has grown from three members to over 300, and ultimately we’d love to have over 1,000 members. Interested alumni can get more information on our website: alumni.nyu.edu/giving/donors/yalc.shtml.
What do you think is the most significant thing that NYU will accomplish when it reaches the
$2.5 billion goal of the current Campaign for NYU?
NYU will use that money to provide financial support so the next generation of students can achieve their dreams. We’re also building NYU into a much-desired place for the top faculty and researchers in the world. As alumni, we will all continue to benefit from that as NYU takes its place among the world’s elite institutions.
Why is it important for young alumni to support NYU both financially and with time and energy?
Many of us look back on our college years very fondly and know that our NYU educations had an enormous impact on our lives. We also know that NYU’s prominence and success would not be possible if not for the generous contributions of other alumni and the Board of Trustees. Despite the high costs of attending NYU, many of us received sizable scholarships and financial aid to attend the school. What better way to show our appreciation and provide for the future classes of NYU students than to contribute money and time to the institution that helped us to develop into what we are today?
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