When the first week of classes wrapped up on September 5, 2025, over 7,700 first-year McMaster students opened their inboxes to find a surprise message of welcome waiting for them.
Welcome Notes, a heartfelt initiative started by the Office of Alumni Engagement in 2017, invites alumni and upper-year students to share personal messages with incoming first-year students, welcoming them to campus life and offering guidance, encouragement, and insight.
Notes come from around the world, offering everything from tips on the best study spots on campus to profound reflections on personal growth and the value of community.
For the last eight years, the Welcome Notes initiative has reached more than 45,000 first-year students with more than 5,200 unique messages from alumni and upper-year students.
“Thank you to our incredible alumni and returning students who participated in the Welcome Notes program—your warm messages helped create a meaningful start for our new students at McMaster,” says Karen McQuigge, Director of Alumni Engagement.
To further connect these generations of Marauders, the Office of Alumni Engagement offers a monetary donation to support one of the Faculty student societies on campus, drawn at random.
This year, the McMaster Engineering Society (MES) won the lucky draw, receiving a $500 donation that will directly impact student life.
“This donation means the world to myself and the MES,” says Emily Attai, president of the MES. “Having this additional funding allows us to provide extra support to students this year and really make a difference in their academic success.”
The McMaster Engineering Society helps to enrich student life and success by offering academic resources including midterm prep sessions and discounted tutoring. They also have a student-run store called The Drain, where students can borrow used textbooks all semester long, for free. Through its mentorship program and other student-run initiatives, MES fosters a supportive community that empowers students to thrive academically and connect meaningfully across years.
“We’ve had great success and positive feedback from students after our midterm prep sessions,” says Attai, but limited availability of upper-year students and funding constraints have made it difficult for the MES to expand their prep sessions beyond just midterms. With this donation, the MES plans to offer free exam prep as well, covering common first and second year courses. “We’re hoping with this additional funding, to provide that same level of support for students’ final exams.”
By transforming alumni generosity into accessible academic resources, the Welcome Notes initiative shows how McMaster students, both past and present, are building a campus where no one faces exams alone, and every student feels they belong.
Learn more about the McMaster Alumni Program, and the McMaster Engineering Society.