The D.C. Alumni Club: staying connected to St Andrews
Ian Doty (BA 2021), Erik Neff (MA 2007) and Katie Weinsheimer (BA 2021) were invited to attend National Tartan Day festivities in Washington D.C. as St Andrews alumni in April this year. Here, as well as describing their standout memories of St Andrews, they tell Leah Dalton (Alumni and Family Engagement Officer, US) how the D.C. Alumni Club has helped them to stay connected to St Andrews and Scotland, maintain and nurture friendships and enrich their time in D.C.
It’s not often that St Andrews alumni get the opportunity to meet with the MSP Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture – let alone in the United States. However, this was the case for Ian Doty, Erik Neff and Katie Weinsheimer on National Tartan Day 2022.
National Tartan Day is celebrated on 6 April each year to honour the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States. The date bears a deep significance. It coincides with the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, the first notable written sovereign declaration and the forefather of the US Declaration of Independence. That the Declaration of Arbroath influenced the American declaration is no coincidence; several of the United States’ founding fathers were of Scottish ancestry. Indeed, it is fair to say that Scottish influence within the United States predated its sovereignty.
This year the Scottish Government invited Doty, Neff and Weinsheimer in their capacity as St Andrews alumni to attend National Tartan Day festivities at the Metropolitan Club in Washington, D.C. There, Cabinet Secretary Robertson and Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, gave presentations illustrating our two nations’ long histories of friendship, cooperation and cultural exchange. The celebration also included a pipe band, traditional highland dancing, fiddling and a wide selection of Scotch whisky to sample. The event brought together a diverse range of attendees – from business leaders to politicians – in celebration of Scottish culture.
Ian Doty came to St Andrews from St Louis, Missouri. He said: “That was a huge change for me. But from the moment I stepped into my first seminar in Buchanan Hall, I knew St Andrews was home. I had a brilliant experience at St Andrews, and I grew immensely as both a student and a person.”
When asked why he joined the DC Alumni Club, Doty explained that he wanted to give back to the next generation. “St Andrews is a wonderful place and I want to be a representative for the University to past, present, and future students. I want to make sure that people know how great the University is and to ensure that others are getting the opportunities that I was so lucky to have.”
Katie Weinsheimer had a similar experience. She came to St Andrews from Silver Spring, Maryland – a suburb of Washington, D.C. Like Ian, St Andrews involved an adjustment for her. “Finding friends, especially my academic family, made my St Andrews experience memorable. I still talk to my friends from halls and to my academic children on a regular basis.”
Kate also credits the academic programme for influencing her career path. “At St Andrews, I realised that I had a passion for communications and distilling complex issues. My honours classes, from IR and the Internet to Middle Eastern Political Systems, pushed me to think critically about how people communicate. The skills I learned in St Andrews have helped me in my career today.”
Erik Neff decided to apply to St Andrews after attending a high school study abroad programme here during the summer of 2001. Neff said: “Growing up in central Ohio, I was more than ready to experience something completely different.” He described his two standout memories at St Andrews: competing in the Mr St Andrews competition, and being rugby tackled into the freezing North Sea during May Dip. “That tackle had to be a highlight, as I was so completely unprepared for how cold the water was. I’ll never forget that moment!”
Neff added that his most significant takeaways from his time at St Andrews – outside of his education – were the friendships he made. “I cannot say enough about the warmth, hospitality, and humour of the Scottish people. It was this that really sparked my decision to become involved as a Board Member in my local alumni club.”
Doty is also a Board Member of the D.C. Alumni Club. He said: “Alumni clubs are a vital way for the University to keep in touch with its graduates. Our members are constantly telling us that the alumni club helps to keep them connected with St Andrews and Scotland, maintain and nurture friendships and enrich their time in D.C. The club is the glue between these relationships, and we are more than happy to help people bring people together.”
Neff concludes: “We’re very blessed to continue being a part of the legacy of Scottish and American friendship.”
To learn more about the D.C. Alumni Club, please visit facebook.com/StAndrews.DC.Alumni. You can also reach the D.C. Alumni Club for any questions regarding alumni club membership or what it’s like to be an American at St Andrews at: [email protected].