Monroe Alumni Brunch Cruise Brings Graduates Together for a Fun Afternoon on the Hudson River

Dozens of Monroe alumni recently spent a summer day cruising around the Hudson River while reminiscing over their shared alma mater and having some fun along the way. 

On July 26, nearly 100 alumni and guests gathered at Pier 61 for Monroe’s first-ever alumni networking brunch cruise, an experience that included a three-course meal, music, dancing, spectacular views and plenty of networking.

Shanique McKenzie-Daniel, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, did a remarkable job pulling together this fun event on the water. It was just one of many scheduled throughout the year to help alumni stay connected to each other and, of course, Monroe. 

Of the 102 people who registered, 98 attended, many of whom were participating in a Monroe alumni event for the first time. Alumni from the ’80s and ’90s all the way through to recent graduates from the last five years turned out for the cruise.

One particularly fun activity was “networking bingo” – a challenge to get alumni talking and find matches for prompts – like finding someone who majored in education or someone who lived outside of New York City – on the cards. Every time they spoke to someone who matched a square, they got to fill in that bubble.

The activity introduced a little friendly competition (and prizes for the first five winners), but its real value was helping facilitate new connections.

This was the first Monroe alumni event for 1998 accounting graduate Marsha Belnavis. She was excited for the opportunity to reconnect with the University after nearly 30 years. What she didn’t expect to see was just how much the institution – then called “Monroe College” – had grown since her graduation. Now a university, Monroe has grown exponentially, boasting more than 60,000 alumni across four campuses.

Beyond the numbers, the evolution of Monroe was evident to Belnavis in the scale of the event itself and the sheer number of alumni present. She met several people she hopes to stay in touch with, including a handful with whom she shared career opportunities.

Belnavis knows firsthand what a connection can do to add a spark to a professional trajectory. It was Monroe, she said, that got her started on her career in finance and accounting. Monroe’s Career Services team helped her land an early job in New Rochelle, the first of many stepping stones in her career.

“What I've taken from it is that Monroe, it’s still all about community, and it's the home away from home,” Belnavis said. “And I really felt that at this event. It’s my hope to continue that for others at Monroe.”

She now hopes to share her professional experience with today’s Monroe students through employment opportunities, interview preparation, financial education or other career-focused programming.

"I would like to see that more connecting and really meaningful connection, whereas we can take it offline and really expand our communities,” she said.



That spirit was evident throughout the afternoon. One alumna asked to be connected with Career Services because her organization was interested in hiring Monroe students. Another attendee sought professional support for herself. Alumni exchanged LinkedIn profiles and phone numbers, while several groups made plans to continue spending time together after the cruise.

Among them was Peta-Gaye Powell, Assistant Director for Academic Compliance in Monroe’s ARAP office and a Monroe alumna. Powell first joined Monroe as an employee, then enrolled as a student and earned her master’s degree in criminal justice with a concentration in human services in 2023. Her positive experience later encouraged her mother to attend Monroe and study hospitality.

Powell and her mother were also joined by two Monroe colleagues who are alumni. Although the four arrived as a group, they soon met other graduates seated at their table, including people working in hospitality. By the end of the cruise, several of them decided to continue the afternoon together, exchanged numbers and remained in contact after the event.

“You just never know who's out there and how they can impact your life,” Powell said. “You just never know where it might lead you – who you'll meet and how it can affect your tomorrow.”


“These are people that we've served within the Monroe community when they were students, and so being able to be in a space where we could also give them the platform and the space to then give back is especially meaningful,” McKenzie-Daniel said. “I think events like these create that space for them, and keep our community engaged even after graduation.”

Will there be another brunch cruise? Possibly. For now, McKenzie-Daniel is satisfied with how the event turned out.

“When we have events that you're hearing people leave by saying, ‘Oh, can't wait for the next one. This was great,’ you can't say anything else but that the event was successful,” she said. “Overall, just the feedback, the results and the connections that we meet, I'd say that's what made this a successful event.”