Volunteer Spotlight: Anna Gibson Hollow, '96 BA
Anna Gibson Hollow, ’96 BA, the University Archivist at the University of Alberta, volunteered as an alumni career mentor last year.
As a mentor, Anna would meet with a young U of A grad to answer their career questions and share experiences. Anna believes it is a privilege to be a part of a young grad’s career journey.
Early in her career, Anna also volunteered with the organization, Suit Yourself, which provides women looking for employment with business attire. Anna has always been inspired to give back, specifically to women in the early stages of their careers. Anna herself has found that she has had many strong women in her life to inspire her and looked for opportunities to connect with other women.
Another way Anna has made connections with alumni is through volunteering as a golf cart driver during Alumni Weekend. Golf cart drivers help to shuttle alumni across campus for the various Alumni Weekend activities. Many of the volunteer drivers enjoy meeting a diverse group of alumni, who recount stories from their days at the university. Here is Anna’s favourite story:
I met this incredible 92 year old alumna who was in town for her class reunion. She had taken a bus from Calgary, where she lived, to Edmonton for the weekend and then rode the LRT from her downtown hotel to campus to attend the festivities. I gave her a ride in my golf cart to one of the buildings that had an exhibit she wanted to see. She asked if I wouldn’t mind waiting in case she didn’t find it interesting. Naturally I said yes and a few minutes later she was back in my golf cart. Before taking her back to the LRT, I took her on a tour of the campus. We had a fabulous time!
Anna feels that we all have a responsibility to give back and make our communities a better place, and she exemplifies this in all of her volunteer accomplishments. Anna says that volunteering at the U of A has been a rewarding experience. It is a great way to get to know others and she would encourage everyone to test it out!
Interested in volunteering as a career mentor? Find out more.
