A homerun partnership connecting Auburn to Atlanta
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Madison Allen’s love for Auburn University and the Atlanta Braves intersected in exciting fashion Sunday as she served as an honorary team captain for the Braves while also representing the Atlanta Auburn Club.
“I am very dedicated to serving the Atlanta Auburn Club as a whole and love getting the ability to serve Auburn in a different light,” said Allen, who moved to Atlanta and joined the Atlanta Auburn Club after graduating a year ago from Auburn University to work for an engineering firm in Georgia’s capital. “I have been a Braves fan since I was little, growing up in Roswell. We used to always go to games at Turner Field. I'm glad that I am back in Atlanta again so I can continue to go to the games and root on the home team.”
As an honorary team captain, Allen had her name announced before Sunday’s game, and she was spotlighted on the field at Truist Park as she helped exchange the lineup cards between the two teams’ managers during pre-game festivities. Allen was joined at third base by Auburn cheerleaders, and other members of the Atlanta Auburn Club attended the game with her.
For Allen, a board member for the Atlanta Auburn Club, the outing was a great chance to give exposure not only to Auburn, but also the activities and outreach efforts of the club. Allen graduated from Auburn in May 2022 with a degree in public relations. Her focus as a board member of the Atlanta Auburn Club is in the same discipline.
“As a young alumna, I love getting to engage and work with other alumni who share a love for Auburn and getting to tell me stories of when they went there,” she said, adding that she remains grateful to her parents for allowing her to attend Auburn.
Allen is one of 13 board members for the club. According to its website, the Atlanta Auburn Club represents approximately 23,000 Auburn alumni in the greater metro Atlanta area. The club’s mission is “to foster the Auburn spirit, strengthen ties between the Auburn Family and the university and raise scholarship funds that can provide some real hope for students in Georgia who want to attend Auburn University.”
Through the club’s fundraising efforts, it has contributed more than $505,000 to student scholarships at Auburn University. These gifts made a direct impact for 85 Auburn students in the past 10 years. The club also sponsors various outings for fellow Auburn alumni, including Braves games.
“Our Atlanta Auburn Club is an Auburn alumni-based club here in Atlanta for all alumni,” Allen said. “We host watch parties, happy hours and serve the Atlanta community by contributing to community service.”
Most recently, the club welcomed to Atlanta Auburn’s AMBUSH 2023 event, which involves Auburn head coaches visiting various cities and talking about their upcoming season.
“I oversaw the club’s social media posts leading up to the event, which I thoroughly enjoyed,” Allen said.
She said she loves the interaction she has with fellow Auburn alumni as part of the club, and she’s thoroughly enjoying her return to the Atlanta area. She currently works as a project coordinator for the engineering firm Pond, but in July she will move over to its marketing department as a marketing coordinator. Being able to enjoy the big city life while also continuing her connection to the Auburn Family has been a big plus for Allen.
“The people make up Auburn University,” she said. “I learned that early on when I had the opportunity to serve Auburn in an abundance of ways throughout my four years by holding leadership positions in Auburn SGA, First Year Experience, Delta Zeta and Auburn Campus Recreation. Every person who has ever attended Auburn University comes from a different background, and I loved getting to learn more about the people and their ‘why.’ Through the ability to hold these positions, I learned more about leadership, and I knew I wanted to have the ability to connect with my alumni center post-graduation.”
"Every person who has ever attended Auburn University comes from a different background, and I loved getting to learn more about the people and their ‘why.’"
Madison Allen
Allen encourages all Auburn graduates who move to Atlanta to join the club and attend its events.
“We love getting to interact with all alumni from different graduating classes and get to learn about why we all love Auburn so much,” she said.
Atlanta Auburn Club More Clubs and AffiliatesMedia interested in this story can contact Communications Director Preston Sparks at (334) 844-9999 or preston.sparks@auburn.edu.
Auburn University is a nationally ranked land grant institution recognized for its commitment to world-class scholarship, interdisciplinary research with an elite, top-tier Carnegie R1 classification, life-changing outreach with Carnegie’s Community Engagement designation and an undergraduate education experience second to none. Auburn is home to more than 30,000 students, and its faculty and research partners collaborate to develop and deliver meaningful scholarship, science and technology-based advancements that meet pressing regional, national and global needs. Auburn’s commitment to active student engagement, professional success and public/private partnership drives a growing reputation for outreach and extension that delivers broad economic, health and societal impact.