Five board members of the Student Alumni Association represented the University of Arkansas at this year's CASE ASAP District III Conference Feb. 16-18 in Gainesville, Florida, and returned home with an award for Outstanding Student Leader.

Blake Griffin, 2016 president of the Student Alumni Board, received the Outstanding Student Leader award. This is only the second time that a University of Arkansas student has won this award, and it is the first time to win it since Arkansas moved to District III, said Ryan Miller, board advisor and associate director of student and young alumni outreach. This is also the first time Arkansas has won CASE ASAP awards in back to back years, he added. Awards received last year were Outstanding Emerging Organization and Outstanding Advisor, given to Miller.

Students in attendance at the conference were Ashlyn Smith, 2017 SAB president; Brooke Taylor, vice president of programming; Cat Voss, Hearing from a Hog co-chair; Haley Stewart, member of the Homecoming Steering Committee; and Amelia Chapman, member of the Homecoming Steering Committee. Miller and Mercedes Alberson, student outreach coordinator, were advisors at the conference.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education began facilitating the Affiliated Student Advancement Program in 1992, and the organization has since established itself as the primary network for student alumni associations, student foundations, and other such organizations across the country. The goal of the Affiliated Student Advancement Program is to foster and enhance student involvement in all areas of advancement—from alumni relations and communications to fundraising, marketing and related areas. One of the main ways that CASE ASAP seeks to achieve this goal is through the CASE ASAP conferences, at both the district and national levels.

The University of Arkansas is a member of District III, along with universities throughout the southeast including the majority of other SEC schools. The district conference provided an opportunity for the Arkansas Student Alumni Association to connect with other similar organizations, improve upon current initiatives, and learn new practices. The students also gave a presentation on their extensive membership engagement and recruitment events, and received a 4.6 overall rating out of 5, Miller said.

Additionally, Miller presented "From Member to Mentor: Using Personal Experience to Increase Student Membership," and was recognized as a CASE Scholar the prior week at the CASE District III Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

About the Student Alumni Association: The Student Alumni Association offers excellent opportunity for students to get involved and further their professional development skills. The Student Alumni Association oversees many campuswide initiatives including the University of Arkansas Homecoming celebration, the official ring, and the Senior Walk dedication. Focused on expanding traditions, alumni relations, and the senior experience, the Student Alumni Association is the largest registered student organization at the University of Arkansas with over 4,500 members. Any student can join at www.arkansasalumni.org/students.