Camp Penmen Brings the Adventure to Homecoming 2026

Camp Penmen was in session as Homecoming 2026 welcomed the Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) community back for a camping-themed weekend. From campus festivities and regional events to virtual and on-demand activities, students, families, faculty, staff and alumni found their own ways to explore the weekend lineup and create Homecoming adventures.

"A lot of students live far away, so this just makes it feel like you're back with your family, like you're home," said campus student Dominique Rogers, who attended Homecoming events on the Manchester, New Hampshire campus, with sibling and fellow student Hayden Martial.

Homecoming 2026 added new events, new partnerships and more ways for campers to take part throughout the weekend.

Pitching in for a Purpose

The SNHU community came together as The Chandler Center hosted its annual Homecoming weekend Rise Against Hunger service project. This project benefits a nonprofit organization aimed at increasing access to food and eliminating food insecurity.

During the event, 36 volunteers assembled 9,700 meal packages containing rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, vitamins and minerals.

"Rise Against Hunger taking place during Homecoming is really powerful to me because it's an opportunity to see different generations of SNHU come together under a common purpose of service," said campus student Mya Dowd. "I got to meet and connect with someone who graduated 10 years ago as we worked together at the same station, so it really just shows the staying power of SNHU."

Also among the volunteers were 12 Duet alumni who participated as an organized group for the first time, with support from the Alumni Engagement team. Duet alumni are SNHU graduates who earned their degrees through a competency-based education (CBE) program offered in partnership with Duet.

For those who couldn’t make it to campus, The Chandler Center provided an on-demand service opportunity in support of Kids' Meals, Inc., a home delivery program for preschool-aged children facing food insecurity. Participants decorated lunch bags with cheerful designs, positive messages and jokes and mailed them to Kids' Meals, Inc. to be packed with a healthy meal for a kid in need.

Honoring Alumni Who Lead the Trail

Before the sun set and people began gathering for the yearly s'mores-making and fireworks display, the annual Alumni Awards took place, highlighting five alumni for their commitment to leadership, engagement and service. This year’s honorees included:

• Michael Yotts ’07, Alumni Engagement Award
• Joshua L. Watkins ’24, Community Impact Award
• Adam Schultz ’23 ’26MBA, Emerging Leader Award
• Dr. John J. Rainone ’85 ’90G, Founders Award
• Amber J. Davis ’04 ’09G, Professional Achievement Award

“The individuals we are celebrating tonight come from different backgrounds, professions and experiences. Their stories are unique, but what connects them is a commitment to using their talents, their leadership and their experiences to create opportunities for others,” said SNHU President Lisa Marsh Ryerson during her opening remarks. “In different ways, each of them has created a ripple effect that extends well beyond their own success. To me, that’s what it means to embody the values of SNHU.”

Homecoming Across the Map

Homecoming activities also extended beyond Manchester, with volunteer leaders hosting regional gatherings in:

• Orlando, Florida
• San Antonio, Texas
• Des Moines, Iowa
• Nashua, New Hampshire

For Ryan Neville '22MBA, an online program graduate who lives near the Manchester campus, Homecoming offered a chance to join the celebrations both virtually and in person for the first time. After being a featured panelist in the “Find Your Trail: Careers in the Outdoors Virtual Alumni Panel,” he attended the Nashua regional event later that evening

"It was so special being involved in the career panel and now at my first regional event. A few hours ago, I was discussing my career and accomplishments, and now I'm talking to a current student who is inspiring me," said Neville. "To connect with students and alumni in different formats has been eye-opening and makes me excited to learn how to become more involved with SNHU in the future."

If you missed it, you can watch a recording of the alumni career panel here.

More to Discover at Camp Penmen, Wherever You Are

Partners from across SNHU, including Career Services, the online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program, the Shapiro Library, Office of Sustainability, the Online Paranormal Research Club and others, came together to create engaging activities and unique opportunities for the SNHU community to get involved.

For the Online Paranormal Research Club, Homecoming provided an opportunity to showcase the organization while connecting with students through its themed event, “Whispers in the Woods.”

“It was an honor to represent the Paranormal Research Club and SNHU’s vibrant community of online student organizations,” said club president and online student Amber Wallace. “Hosting ‘Whispers in the Woods’ was a wonderful experience. Beyond the atmosphere, one of the most rewarding parts was hearing students share their own stories and experiences. Those moments of connection and shared curiosity made the event truly special.”

SNHU community members could also participate virtually through activities including stargazing and the annual run/walk where participants can run, jog, walk, or roll (using a wheelchair or other mobility device) on any course that works for them. There were also camp-themed coloring pages and the Homecoming Adventure Card, which featured a variety of camping-inspired and SNHU-themed activities to complete throughout the weekend.

From Campfire Moments to Homecoming Memories

As the final campfires faded and Homecoming 2026 came to a close, organizers reflected on the groups and individuals behind the full schedule of events.

“One of my favorite things about Homecoming is seeing so many people across SNHU come together to make the weekend special,” said Elizabeth LaClair, associate director of the Office of Student Involvement. “From the Paranormal Research Club hosting a program to campus partners adding creative touches throughout the weekend, it’s those collaborations and the people behind them that I love most about Homecoming.”

Those partnerships also helped expand the ways the SNHU community could take part.

“This year’s Homecoming was a great example of what’s possible when we bring different areas of the SNHU community together,” said Meghan Marcucci, associate director of Alumni Engagement at SNHU. “Expanding the Homecoming experience and creating more meaningful ways for our community to connect, learn and engage helps us create a celebration representative of the full SNHU experience.”

Vanessa Collins is a communications manager on the content and channel strategy team at Southern New Hampshire University, with a background in communications and digital media. Her enthusiasm for storytelling and connection began at a young age, inspiring a career dedicated to bringing compelling stories to life. She combines professional expertise with a passion for SNHU’s mission of accessible education, creating communications that celebrate the power of learning and the people behind it. Collins can often be found at a Pilates class, spending quality time with her dog and cat, or exploring new coffee shops.

Courtney Lawson ’16 ’17 MBA is a communications manager for social and content on Southern New Hampshire University’s content and channel strategy team. Blending her background in marketing and social media with a passion for storytelling and communications, she creates content that connects audiences to the people, experiences and impact behind SNHU’s mission to expand access to affordable, high-quality, workforce-relevant education and equitable outcomes. When she is not writing, Lawson can often be found capturing photos and videos at SNHU events and bringing campus stories to life through visual content. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors, adventuring with her pups and tending to her growing collection of plants.