Very few people keep in touch with their school friends, and that’s normal. After graduation, there’s usually no more reason to remain in contact, unless you are real friends. But, as time goes by, there may be various reasons why you may need to reach out to past classmates, the most common of which is a class reunion.
Class reunions are fun. You get to remember the old school days and meet people you spent your teenage years with.
It’s also an opportunity to come together to share memories, create new friendships, and expand professional networks. The only hardship, however, is to gather all the people in one place. And for this, you need to find them first.
Why Do You Need to Reach Out to Your Classmates?
With everyone’s email or social media information, you’ll be able to connect with them to inquire about their interest in the reunion, their availability, their willingness to come, the type of activity they’d be interested in, whether any of them would be interested in assisting with planning the reunion, and how much they would be willing to spend on purchasing the tickets.
All of this needs to be taken into account before you start planning the whole process. And once planning is finalized, the details can be communicated to everyone.
Before you Start Searching for Classmates
A preliminary budget would first need to be created to determine the scale of the event. Estimate how many people will be in attendance and set a temporary ticket price.
You’ll be able to calculate how much the paying guests will contribute that way. Based on this information, you’ll be in a better position to adjust the price up or down depending on how much money you will need to pull off the event.
But don’t rely solely on ticket sales, though. Come up with other ways to generate more funds—donations, negotiations with vendors, and a raffle. The more exposure the reunion gets, the better.
How to Track Down Classmates for a Class Reunion
1. Find the Class List
You can find the class list either by searching through an old yearbook or by contacting the school to request it. Once you have it, you can then create a spreadsheet with all the names that you’ll need to reach out to.
2. Let Classmates Fill in Some Blanks for You
Some of the classmates that you’re in contact with may be in touch with some of the classmates you’re missing information for and may be able to fill in some of the blanks for you.
They may even be able to help you spread the word about the reunion. You’ll be amazed at how effective word of mouth is. If, despite all your efforts, there are still some classmates missing, be sure to include a list of them in any communications you send out.
That way, you’ll increase your chances of finding them—anyone who has their contact information will notify them about the reunion or even reach out to you, providing information on how to reach them.
3. Search on Popular Social Networking Groups
Popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X make it so much easier to track people down. So, if you’re having difficulty finding classmates, give these platforms a try.
Simply enter the person’s full name in the search bar and press enter. If nothing turns up, then you can also search the profile of another classmate to see if they’re friends with the person.
As long as the classmate’s privacy settings allow you to view their friend list, it’ll be a breeze. Just remember that some women may have changed their last names through marriage.
4. Run Background Checks
A background check can reveal plenty of information about the person you’re looking for. All you need is their full name. Here’s how to perform a background check on someone:
- Go to Nuwber
- Enter the full name of the person in question
- Enjoy the results!
Among the details you’ll find are your classmate’s:
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Location
- Professional and business details
- Date of birth & much more.
A background check gives many options to contact the person. You can either call them, send them a message, or even visit them in person. And don’t worry, this is absolutely legal.
5. Announce the Reunion
Announcing a class reunion with the use of public service announcements—television, radio, and social media—will get the message out there.
Make the most of this medium and encourage people to spread the word about the activity, share any information they may have about missing classmates, and keep an ear out for further details about the reunion.
Be sure to also provide your contact information in the event that someone may need to contact you for one reason or another.
Conclusion:
Class reunions are all about reuniting people who haven’t seen each other in many years. With our list above, you will no doubt be able to find many, if not all, former classmates.
Thanks to the advances in IT and the various tools available online, finding past classmates has become so much easier and even cheaper than ever before.
So, find the class list, let some classmates help you find others, search on social media, run background checks, or announce the reunion. For better results, combine a few methods to make sure you locate the right people.
