.... or "Eureka!" or "I've got it!" or whatever you'd like to call it. The Minary Conference on Alumni Education sets itself apart from other conferences with its intimate size of attendees, its inspiring location, and its substantive agenda including plenty of time for open discussion. Share your A'ha moments with us, or on Facebook. Here are some from past attendees.

"As much as I enjoyed the scheduled sessions, some of my best learning opportunities occurred during the 'down time.' I couldn't believe that here I was learning so much about other school's programs while hiking up a mountain or taking a morning stroll with colleagues. Everyone was so incredibly open about what worked and didn't work for them. New in my position, it really helped me to shape the program I wanted to direct." -- Roxanne Shiels, Penn State

"At Minary I realized I was learning about alumni education from institutions quite different from my own." -- Rhoda Lea, Yale University

"The beauty of Minary is not just seen in the surroundings but also in the participants, all of whom are willing to share their expertise and experiences. Based on what I learned from the other attendees during the two years, my office launched a successful Alumni Travel Program last fall. For a small alumni shop that can't afford to make any missteps, the knowledge that I gained at Minary was the key to the success of our program." -- Anne Sant, Stonehill College

"I attended my first Minary Conference after just 2 weeks at my new job at Swarthmore, and I've gone every year but one since.  What I was struck by from the first year was its size - it's a small conference, so the feeling is very much one of a small community, and everyone is very willing to share.  I've always learned just as much if not more from conversations outside of the formal programming, and I reach out to Minarians throughout the year when I have questions.  I've gotten insights into specific travel vendors - horror stories, stories of fantastic customer service - and ideas for on-line programming, for affinity group programming, for working with faculty, and more.  Minary has also been a great way to take the time to look at the field of alumni education as a whole, with thoughtful colleagues and the time away from day-to-day work demands to reflect." -- Lisa Lee, Swarthmore College

"A few years back I attended a terrific writing breakout session at Minary. I learned how best to communciate our programming using the guideline of "me, here, now" which enables me to appeal to the reader by first addressing what he wants for himself, here, and now. 'Eureka!' I said to myself. Thinking this way helps our marketing tremendously." -- Melissa Gresh, MIT

"I realised that alumni education takes so many shapes and forms. There is so much yet to be learned and discovered." -- Laura Gobbi, Mills

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