For all of the benefits of a Biola education — the great Bible training, the lifelong relationships and the Biola community that we all enjoyed as students — the one thing that many alumni have felt they missed in not attending one of the large state universities is the strategic networking that comes with vast alumni numbers and big programs.

Well, those days they are a changin’!

The Alumni Relations office is so pleased to have several new groups developing in Orange County, Los Angeles County and across the country as alumni are using social media tools to expand their networks and borders. In recent weeks several spontaneous networking groups have surfaced through LinkedIn and Facebook that have generated a rekindling of relationships, several new jobs, and the start of what we hope will be a wonderful new era for Biola alumni who are seeking to network for the purpose of career advancement.

And while Biola alumni have an amazing events schedule to attend, these unique networking events provide a wonderful setting to meet a few new alumni for the purpose of finding a new job, advancing in a career or finding new employees. If you haven’t yet joined the Biola LinkedIn or Facebook pages, do it! You won’t be sorry! And while you are joining up, don’t miss the opportunity to check out your information on the new alumni web search engine at biola.edu/alumni. This great new alumni tool allows you access to your alumni information and the information of other alumni with whom you graduated. It is a great virtual alumni directory that will help you connect with friends and long-lost roommates!

Finally, if you missed Biola Weekend on Oct. 14–15, you missed the launch of an annual event that will truly be the event of the year on Biola’s calendar. This combined weekend of alumni, parents and students has become the showcase for what’s new on campus, what’s happening with Biola around the world, and a celebration of the education provided here at Biola. This year’s event introduced, in “TED Talk” style, the “T3 Talks” (named from Biola’s themes of “truth, transformation and testimony”), with cutting-edge presentations from six great speakers, including Rob Bredow (’94), Jody Ward (’98), Christof Meyer (’06), Rick Johnson (’84), Jeremy Mann (’08) and Karen Riddervold (’99).

The weekend also celebrated the completion and dedication of the new Talbot building with special guests from around the country who have helped to make the building possible through their sacrificial giving and support. Finally, the weekend wrapped up with class- and special-interest reunions and the celebration banquet. If you missed it, you can check out the photos on the Biola Alumni Association Facebook page and watch the T3 presentations on Biola’s YouTube page, youtube.com/biolauniversity. And we hope to see you next year for Biola Weekend on Oct. 5–6, 2012, where together we will be Alumni for Life!