It is often said that “your network is your net worth," and this sentiment could not have been more fitting for the recent .Net (pronounced "dot net") Soirée. The event, which was held in late January at the scenic Stellenbosch University Botanical Gardens, provided an opportunity for members of the .Net community to connect with peers at a similar stage in their academic and professional development journey. 

The community includes Wimbledon.net, amaMaties.net, and Rubix.net. In attendance were new entrant postgraduate students, returning .Net community members, and representatives from the Senior Living Spaces (SLS) Cluster, based in the Centre for Student Life and Learning (CSLL) of the Division Student Affairs (DSAf).

Like other newcomer Maties, senior and postgraduate students received newcomers t-shirts, generously sponsored by Pineapple Insurance, as they registered with their collective communities during the event.

The soirée also welcomed several key partners of the .Net community, including Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), Gradlinc, and Golden Key. Their presence, alongside senior management from CSLL, enriched the event by providing students with valuable networking opportunities. 

“This was an opportunity for students to engage with individuals who can help enrich their professional lives," explained Maxine Golding, the .Net Coordinator.

“The event was designed to speak directly to their developmental stage as more senior and mature students", she added. 

The soirée, however, had a broader purpose beyond merely networking.

“We wanted to show our different stakeholders, senior and postgraduate students, that there is a space for them," shared Kaiden Jacobs, the executive leader of Rubix.Net.

“It helped set a precedent for the year, making it clear that they are supported, welcomed, and part of a community – rather than isolated from the broader campus experience that Stellenbosch offers." 

Beyond serving as a welcome event, the soirée also highlighted the steady growth of the .Net community since its founding in mid-2021. Jethro Georgiades, Manager of the Unit for Commuter Student Communities, provided a brief overview of the community's history and evolution during his introduction and context-setting address. 

The council members of the various .Net groups – student leaders responsible for community programming – played an essential role as hosts and chaperones, ensuring that all guests felt welcomed and included. 

“A lot of the people who attended this event continued to return throughout the welcoming period," noted Jacobs. “We saw familiar faces every day – people who were excited to see us, greet us, and engage with us." 

Even during the second welcoming, the impact of the soirée on students' sense of belonging remained evident.

“Some members still showed up to support us, greet new attendees, and reinforce the sense of community we're building," he added. 

For many senior and postgraduate students, the academic journey can be lonely and challenging, marked by self-directed work, tight deadlines, and smaller class sizes. The .Net soirée demonstrated that this need not be the case. With the right support structures in place, students can feel seen, heard, and deeply connected to the broader campus community. 

“This event reaffirmed that no student should feel isolated," Jacobs concluded.

“By fostering a strong community, we are ensuring that seniors and postgraduates know they have a place where they belong." ​