Young Alumni Leadership Program

Story posted February 17, 2010

Last Sunday, YALP kicked off its speaker series with Brad Hunter'78. A Maine native, Mr. Hunter is in the midst of his first term on Bowdoin's Board of Directors. He shared that his career path began in New York with commercial banking, transitioned to L.L. Bean, and has now led him to the Dead River Company. More importantly, Mr. Hunter informed the YALP group that the success he's enjoyed in life were fostered by his Bowdoin education. It is this education, both inside and out of the classroom, that inspires Mr. Hunter's love for Bowdoin and his desire to remain highly involved with the College. Prior to serving on the Board, Mr. Hunter served as a Class Agent and Alumni Fund Director. Many of us were surprised to learn that it actually costs $70,000 per year to educate each Bowdoin student and that the sizable gap between this figure and tuition is financed through alumni contributions.

After sharing his story, Mr. Hunter took time to respond to questions from the YALPERS. The most interesting question posed was: "What exactly sets Bowdoin apart from its peer liberal arts colleges?" Mr. Hunter believes that Bowdoin's unique location on the Maine coast generates its uniqueness. Of all the factors that I considered, our proximity to the Maine coast would not be the first thing on the lips of many Bowdoin students. Thus, Mr. Hunter not only educated YALPERS on the tangible importance and benefits of staying involved with Bowdoin after graduation, but also gave a new and different perspective for current students to appreciate Bowdoin.