When it comes to alumni reunions, the Cal Poly Black Alumni Chapter of the Cal Poly Alumni Association knows how to do it right. This summer’s annual Black Legacy weekend in San Luis Obispo was a time for alumni and their families and friends to reconnect with one another and celebrate their shared Cal Poly experiences. Students, faculty, staff and the community reunited for San Luis Obispo’s Farmers Market, hiked in Avila Beach, wine tasted and held a family barbecue at Santa Rosa Park. The weekend concluded with a joint business meeting of the Black Alumni Chapter board of directors and Cal Poly’s Black Faculty and Staff Association.

Chapter President Stephan Cheek, (Business Administration, ’85) is proud of the chapter’s growth and its hallmark reunion weekend. “The chapter’s success has been excellent,” said Cheek, citing the group’s 33 percent increase this past year in alumni engagement on Facebook and a 96 percent increase in the number of alumni contacts in the chapter’s database. “The more alumni we can include in our diverse network of Cal Poly volunteers and supporters, the more we can mobilize resources to assist black students in their matriculation at Cal Poly.”

Up next for the group: the chapter’s annual Mustang tailgate barbecue and football game on Saturday, Nov. 5, when Cal Poly takes on Eastern Washington. “It’s always a great time to be back on campus to enhance educational opportunities for current students and cheer on the Mustangs together,” said Cheek.

To join the fun and learn more about the Black Alumni Chapter, visit alumni.calpoly.edu.