About Us
Events
Nearly every month, the Yale Alumni Association of the Northwest hosts lectures, luncheons, and social events for Yale alumni in the area. From baseball games at the Saint Paul Saints to academic lectures at the Minneapolis Club to building houses with Habitat for Humanity, our events span the spectrum of events local alumni might want to attend. In particular, our events tend to fall into one of three categories:
Networking/Social Events
Lifelong Learning
Community Service
Interview Prospective Students
As we have done for decades, Yale alums—both undergraduate and graduate—interview high school applicants to Yale. Many of us participate. The ones who don’t voice common concerns: my student didn’t get accepted; I am a graduate student, what do I know. We provide a very important community relations service by our interviews—making Yale real to students, their families and the school counselors. And, our purpose is to evaluate students’ individual passion and motivation, not to sell the specifics of undergraduate life. If you’re interested in becoming a Yale interviewer for the upcoming admissions cycle, please email one of the following:
St. Paul, east metro, greater MN, and western Wisconsin: Cynthia Lee, yaleasc6206@gmail.com
Minneapolis and west metro: Tony Leung, TNLeung@mnd.uscourts.gov
Rochester: Ben Elder, ben.d.elder@gmail.com
Dakotas: Dominique Fenton, dominique.a.fenton@gmail.com
Support Current Students
YAANW awards an annual $2,500 fellowship to two current Yale students to support or supplement a region-focused project or qualifying opportunity that enriches the student’s education. The goal of the Malcolm McDonald Fellowship is to enrich a Yale student’s learning while exploring our region’s rich civic, cultural, corporate, natural, or political dynamics. This grant aims to retain or attract Yale talent to the region, to foster a positive, shared learning experience among the awardees, and build a sense of community among the larger Minnesota, eastern Dakotas and western Wisconsin Yale alumni networks.
We also honor high school juniors in our region through the Yale Book Award.
Location
When YAANW was founded in 1883, our region was considered the Northwest. We know it’s confusing now that there are states west of here, but Yale Alumni Association of Minnesota, the Eastern Dakotas, and Western Wisconsin is just too long.