Spirited, strong, steeped in tradition — these qualities define the Lehigh experience, shaping a culture that’s felt across campus. Sustaining that spirit takes dedication, and the Association of Student Alumni (ASA) rises to the occasion. As campus ambassadors, these students serve as trusted resources for current students, prospective students, and alumni alike.
Meet the students who rally the campus and work to preserve the traditions that make Lehigh so special.
Asha Patel ’27 | Emma Owendoff Najarian ’28 | Emmalynne Hedrick ’29 | Mary Darin Cline ’27 | Devon Maguire ’29 | Sarah Taylor ’29
ASA’s Executive Board
Asha Patel ’27
Role: President
Major: Supply Chain Management
Hometown: Montgomery, New Jersey
“I hope to take away from this role a sense of accomplishment, knowing I was able to make positive contributions to a community I care so much about.”
For Patel, creating community has always been at the heart of her involvement with ASA. Now, as president, she’s looking forward to expanding that impact across campus.
In her previous role as director of philanthropy, Patel became well-versed in educating students about initiatives like Giving Day + March Mania, creating 5x10 programs, and finding meaningful ways to connect her peers with philanthropy. Understanding what resonates with students and knowing how to communicate it effectively were important parts of her job, and she’s bringing those skills to her broader leadership role.
As president, she’s looking beyond philanthropy to engage students in all aspects of Lehigh life, from Rivalry to class affinity events. With Bed Races on the horizon, Patel and her fellow ASAs are connecting with students and faculty while building excitement around one of Lehigh’s signature traditions.
Outside ASA, Patel is captain of Leela Indian Fusion Dance. She can also be found baking or settling in with a good book. She’s currently four books into the Throne of Glass series.
Emma Owendoff Najarian ’28
Role: Vice President
Major: Population Health
Hometown: Monmouth County, New Jersey
“Being an ASA exec member allows me to connect with professional, seasoned alumni. It’s been a great opportunity for personal and professional development and has helped me turn intimidating networking into real conversations.”
After serving as ASA’s director of marketing, Najarian was ready to take on a new challenge. Her previous position gave her plenty of opportunities to meet people, interview students at campus events, and create social media content. It also taught her how to build and leverage a brand.
Now, as vice president, Najarian has become one of the organization’s go-to people. Much of her work happens behind the scenes, from communicating with volunteers and supporting the president to helping coordinate the logistics that keep ASA running. She’s even served as a liaison with contacts at Lafayette in preparation for events like Rivalry.
She’s also taken on another ambassador role as a campus tour guide. It’s a natural extension of her work with ASA, giving her another opportunity to share what makes the campus special and connect with people who are just beginning their Lehigh journeys.
Emmalynne Hedrick ’29
Role: Director of Traditions
Major: Neuroscience
Hometown: Harleysville, Pennsylvania
“I joined ASA to engage and connect with other students. I’m a first-generation student, so I was looking to meet people and build community.”
As a freshman, Hedrick was looking for opportunities to meet people and find her place on campus. ASA offered just that. Now, as a member of the executive board, she’s discovering how much goes into creating the experiences that bring students together.
The role has also given her opportunities to develop skills she hopes to carry with her long after Lehigh, including public speaking, networking, and event planning. She’s especially enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring campus traditions and events to life.
Senior Salute and Giving Day + March Mania are two examples that stand out. Seeing the amount of coordination, communication, and resources required to make these events happen has given her a new appreciation for the work that happens before students ever show up.
When she’s not busy with ASA, Hedrick enjoys cozy gaming, reading, and playing the violin. As one of five children, she also hopes to serve as a positive role model for her younger siblings.
Mary Darin Cline ’27
Role: Director of Alumni and Class Affinity
Major: Environmental and Political Science
Hometown: Marin County, California
“I truly feel like a representative of this campus and that I get to be a fundamental part of the community that makes this school so special.”
Cline first heard about ASA through her sorority sisters, who raved about the organization’s events, particularly Bed Races. She was intrigued, but it wasn’t until returning from study abroad during her junior year that she had the opportunity to get involved. She’s been an active member ever since.
One experience, in particular, helped shape her current role. After volunteering at Senior Salute last year, Cline was moved by the opportunity to play a part in such a meaningful event for students. Now, as director of alumni and class affinity, she’s helping lead the tradition and find new ways to make it memorable.
An event she’s already made her mark on was Dear Senior Me, a new 5x10 program that debuted with great success. The initiative invited students to write letters to their future selves, creating a connection between incoming and outgoing classes. When those students return for a future Senior Salute, they’ll have the opportunity to reflect on how far they’ve come and pass along their wisdom to the Class of 2034.
And there’s more on the horizon. Cline is working alongside her fellow ASAs to develop new senior traditions, though she’s keeping the details under wraps for now. Her advice is simple: Stay tuned for next semester!
Beyond ASA, Cline’s passion for dance has been a constant since middle school. She’s a member of Leela Indian Fusion Dance Team and also enjoys concerts, reading, weekend trips, and long drives with good music.
Devon Maguire ’29
Role: Director of Philathropy
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Doylestown, Pennsylvania
“Being an ASA has helped me realize the impact I can have, even on a campus of this size. Helping facilitate these events and raising spirits has been really rewarding.”
For Maguire, the decision to get involved with ASA goes back to her own orientation experience. Watching the Rally and the class adoption made a lasting impression. It showed that Lehigh wasn’t just a university, but a family made up of generations of dedicated alumni.
She wanted to help create that same feeling for others.
After joining ASA her freshman year, Maguire got her first taste of event planning through opportunities to help with Bed Races. One memory stands out. She recalls standing outside in the freezing cold in the pitch-black early morning, six hand warmers clutched in each palm and barely making a difference. But between the fanfare and pushing beds back and forth, she couldn’t help smiling.
As director of philanthropy, Maguire is looking forward to helping students see how they can make a difference through giving. She’s gearing up for Giving Day + March Mania and is excited to see the impact the initiative can have across campus.
When she’s not working with the ASAs, Maguire can be found playing softball on campus. She’s also a Phillies fan who enjoys traveling and going to concerts.
Sarah Taylor ’29
Role: Director of Marketing
Major: IDEAS
Hometown: Doylestown, Pennsylvania
“To me, being an ASA means helping maintain traditions and playing a more involved role in the community that made me fall in love with Lehigh. It gives me a chance to connect with more students outside of my immediate community, as well as alumni and with the other ASAs. It also means spreading Lehigh spirit and getting to help students feel like they are a part of the Lehigh family even after their four years.”
Taylor knew early on that ASA was an organization she wanted to be a part of. She was first introduced to the group the summer before orientation, and she connected with its mission of fostering community and preserving Lehigh traditions. After all, the sense of belonging she found at Lehigh was one of the biggest reasons she chose the university, and she wanted to help create that experience for others.
With encouragement from the previous executive board, Taylor applied for and landed the director of marketing position. Her high school experience and background in graphic design studies made it a natural fit. Today, she’s focused on increasing ASA’s visibility, connecting with students, creating content, and finding new ways to bring students and alumni together.
And she’s already making an impact. While tabling at an ASA event to promote campus involvement, Taylor met a prospective student who later reached out to say she was applying to Lehigh, in large part because of the way she’s seen the ASAs interact with one another. Months later, at Family & Founders Weekend, Taylor spotted that same student on campus with her family.
It’s a full-circle moment that captures Taylor’s hope to help others see the sense of connection that makes Lehigh feel like home.
It’s fitting that one of her favorite hobbies is photography. Wherever she goes, Taylor brings her camera along, always looking for the next moment worth capturing.
