Bringing New Orleans to Washington, D.C.

A decade after graduating from Tulane, Annelise Haskell (A ’14) has woven her connection with Tulane deeply into her life in Washington, D.C., where she’s now focused on helping fellow alumni do the same.

Now in her second year as president of the Tulane Club of Washington, D.C., Haskell helps lead an active community of alumni in the nation’s capital.

After graduation, she moved back to her hometown of Washington, D.C., and she continues to encounter fellow Tulanians in various settings, whether at official alumni events, at her rowing club, in her professional life as an architect or even on the bus.

“It seems like everywhere I go, I’m constantly running into other folks in the Tulane orbit, which is great,” says Haskell.

The Tulane Club of Washington, D.C. is a very active alumni club, hosting around 20 events each year, offering a variety of ways for alumni to connect. “It’s been fulfilling and fun,” Haskell says. “We have a wonderful local alumni board who I’ve enjoyed getting to know and work with. We plan many types of activities and social gatherings that bring different alumni from the Tulane community together.”

One of the club’s most anticipated upcoming events is WelcomeTU, which has attracted around 200 attendees in the past. “It’s a great kickoff event for the year ahead,” Haskell notes. The event welcomes recent graduates moving to the capital, as well as alumni who enjoy reconnecting with their Tulane roots.

In addition to social gatherings like happy hours and football watch parties, the club also organizes service activities and cultural events, catering to a wide range of interests. “We want everyone to feel like there are events that reflect their interests,” Haskell says, noting that the club draws alumni from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Haskell’s dedication to Tulane extends beyond event planning. She regularly mentors students and recent graduates, inspired by the support she received as a student. “There were so many people who mentored me at Tulane and after graduating. Now I also get to work at an architecture firm with other graduates from the Tulane School of Architecture, one of whom hired me. I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to give back,” she explains. Recently, she and three other alumni who work in architecture and real estate hosted a group of current students from Tulane’s Master of Sustainable Real Estate Development program. 

“We encouraged all of them to just stay connected and to feel free to reach out to alumni,” Haskell says. “I always want to help support someone who’s in the Tulane network, whether that’s a student who I’m helping to mentor or a recent grad, because I benefited from that.”

This fall, Haskell will return to New Orleans for her 10th reunion; she is on her reunion committee and enjoys seeing the physical transformation of the university each time she returns. “As an architect, it is exciting to see how much Tulane’s campus has changed since my graduation. I love to see what new renovations and buildings have been added to the university.”

“Reunions are a great opportunity to reconnect with former classmates. But there are so many ways to connect with members of the Tulane community. Even if you’re not on campus, you can still stay connected through your local club,” she says. “We have folks who come to nearly every event and others who check in once a year…They always have a home in the club when they return.”