The Snorri Alumni Association (SAA) is an international community of people who have participated in Snorri, Snorri West, and Snorri Plus. The SAA has three primary goals:
- To build and maintain connections among past participants
- To keep alumni informed of amazing opportunities like the Snorri Alumni Internship, grants and scholarships for language learning, involvement with local Icelandic clubs, and more
- To organize meet-ups and special events for Snorri alumni in Canada, the US, Iceland, and online
If you are one of the over 600 people (and counting!) who have participated in Snorri, Snorri West, or Snorri Plus, then you can be part of the SAA!
(There’s no application or membership fee.)
(There’s no application or membership fee.)
Current SAA President:
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Want to know more about how the SAA came to be? Keep reading!
History of the SAA
From the very beginning, Snorri has been a life-changing experience for each and every participant. Snorris don’t just leave Iceland with full hearts, tired bodies, and countless memories, they leave with an even greater passion for their heritage than they had before. They return home wanting to find ways to stay involved long after they’ve finished unpacking.
In August 2001, during the annual Íslendingadagurinn festival in Gimli, Manitoba, Snorri alumni met to discuss this drive for continued connection. After just two meetings, the Snorri Alumni Association was born, and Tricia Signý McKay was elected its first president. The following day, she formally announced the formation of the SAA to the public in a ceremony at Gimli Park.
The original aims of the SAA were to foster ties between young people in North America and Iceland; to actively promote the Snorri Program; and to build a stronger youth presence in the North American Icelandic community. The SAA has since expanded to include Snorri Plus and Snorri West alumni as well, but the central focus remains connection.
Even as the SAA has ebbed and flowed over the years, Snorri, Snorri Plus, and Snorri West alumni across Iceland and North America have become leaders in their local Icelandic organizations. Alumni hold meetups at major annual events, like the August festivals and INL conventions. In July 2019, a number of alumni from North America participated in the Snorri Program’s 20th anniversary celebration in Hofsós. With nearly two decades of the SAA behind us, the best is still yet to come.
Past Presidents:
2019-2023 Kjersten Gaminek from MB
2011-2019 Mallory Swanson from Moorhead, MN
2009-2011 Laura Olafson from Winnipeg, MB
2006-2009 Ragnheiður Diljá Gunnarsdóttir from Akureyri, IS
2004-2006 Leif Einarson from Maple Ridge, BC and Brad Hirst from Selkirk, MB
2001-2004 Tricia Signý McKay from Selkirk, MB
From the very beginning, Snorri has been a life-changing experience for each and every participant. Snorris don’t just leave Iceland with full hearts, tired bodies, and countless memories, they leave with an even greater passion for their heritage than they had before. They return home wanting to find ways to stay involved long after they’ve finished unpacking.
In August 2001, during the annual Íslendingadagurinn festival in Gimli, Manitoba, Snorri alumni met to discuss this drive for continued connection. After just two meetings, the Snorri Alumni Association was born, and Tricia Signý McKay was elected its first president. The following day, she formally announced the formation of the SAA to the public in a ceremony at Gimli Park.
The original aims of the SAA were to foster ties between young people in North America and Iceland; to actively promote the Snorri Program; and to build a stronger youth presence in the North American Icelandic community. The SAA has since expanded to include Snorri Plus and Snorri West alumni as well, but the central focus remains connection.
Even as the SAA has ebbed and flowed over the years, Snorri, Snorri Plus, and Snorri West alumni across Iceland and North America have become leaders in their local Icelandic organizations. Alumni hold meetups at major annual events, like the August festivals and INL conventions. In July 2019, a number of alumni from North America participated in the Snorri Program’s 20th anniversary celebration in Hofsós. With nearly two decades of the SAA behind us, the best is still yet to come.
Past Presidents:
2019-2023 Kjersten Gaminek from MB
2011-2019 Mallory Swanson from Moorhead, MN
2009-2011 Laura Olafson from Winnipeg, MB
2006-2009 Ragnheiður Diljá Gunnarsdóttir from Akureyri, IS
2004-2006 Leif Einarson from Maple Ridge, BC and Brad Hirst from Selkirk, MB
2001-2004 Tricia Signý McKay from Selkirk, MB
