Celebrating The Orange And Blue

Katy Faires, Anthony Guettler, Mandy Robinson and Jennifer Malone Watson wear their Gator grins proudly during the club’s 2013 Gator Toast. Katy, Anthony and Mandy are past presidents; Jennifer, a board member, chaired the scholarship committee.

Most college graduates will agree that the years they spent on campus were among their most formative and rewarding ones. It’s there they not only learned a profession, but also made lifelong friendships and in many cases met their spouses. That’s why maintaining ties through an alumni association is important, and no one knows it better than those belonging to the Gator Nation.

When it came time for Mandy Robinson to decide which college she was going to, the easy answer would have been close-to-home Penn State. Yet it was the University of Florida (UF) she set her sights on. “It’s one of the top communications schools in the country and that’s what I wanted,” says Mandy. “The minute I stepped on campus, there was this awesome vibe. Everyone was so welcoming and made it feel like home for me. There’s a bond that stays with you.”

Katy Faires knows the feeling. “I was literally born a Gator – I started going to football games when I was in my mom’s belly,” she says, laughing. “I remember when I was a kid we’d drive up to all the games in our motor home. I loved everything about the school, so when it came time for college, there was no question where I would be going; it was in my blood.”