Building a Vibrant
Young Alumni Experience
for Years to Come

There is a distinct sense of self-determination — what he refers to as “grit” — among University of Houston students that first drew Chris Gervasio (BBA ’17, MSACCY ’18) to attend. Now serving as co-president of the UH Young Alumni Network, it’s the same quality that continues to keep him involved.  

“I fell in love with the University’s culture of being gritty,” Gervasio reflects. “The University really inspired in me a desire to put in the hard work.”

To Gervasio, that grit was both an example to aspire to and a reflection of his own motivation. During his time as a student, he was an active presence on campus, taking on various leadership roles, including serving as a resident assistant and participating in student government. Since earning his master's degree in 2018 from UH Bauer College of Business through its five-year professional program in accountancy, he has carried that same energy with him.

Now a senior manager of strategic finance at the PR platform Muck Rack, he also serves as the secretary of the Bauer College Alumni Association and participates in numerous other boards and initiatives. From early in his career, Gervasio has been active in recruiting accounting students into his field and continuing engagement with his former campus.

In 2021, he undertook the revitalization of the Young Alumni Network alongside co-president Kaitlyn Palividas (’17), having identified a gap between seasoned alumni and recent graduates like themselves. Together, they got to work developing programming aimed at the younger demographic of alumni in the early stages of their careers, aiming to build an approachable network and “give people a community to call home.”

Their determination has resulted in successful events such as the Cougar Crawl, which brings alumni together at a series of local breweries, and the Young Alumni Winter Soirée, where thousands of dollars in scholarships are awarded annually. For Gervasio, the work has been rewarding, not only with the impressive attendance but also in witnessing the meaningful connections formed among alumni at these events.

It’s also about creating something with longevity and establishing a community infrastructure that can stand on its own, supported by new volunteers.

“They see the vision, they see the passion, they see all the work and they've been given an avenue to step up that isn't them having to recreate something new. That's the true measurement of success in our line of volunteering — it’s not just that you have this organization while you are part of it, but that you created something that is further than you.”

However his role evolves, his connection to the University will always be personal. He credits his own source of support to his wife; the two met while they were both students and got engaged in Melcher Hall.