Recent Northeastern graduates are automatically eligible to be part of the Young Alumni Club, a new group geared towards fresh NU alumni, designed to make sure contact with the university is not lost.

In the Young Alumni Club (YAC), networking is the main idea. Laura King, the senior assistant director of Alumni Relations, describes YAC as a way to “connect graduates to each other and back to the university.”

Northeastern’s online alumni directory can be used as a valuable resource to find contacts and further your career, said Jason Manciocchi, a 1999 Northeastern graduate. The site lists alumni, where they live and where they work.

“It’s all about who you know,” Manciocchi said.

YAC hosts events in six major cities, including Boston. Grad-uates in New York, San Francisco, Miami, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles have the opportunity to connect with others who have shared the NU experience and develop networking opportunities, King said.

In Boston, alumni can participate in monthly Happy Hours held on every third Thursday at various locations in the city.

Events hosted by YAC vary from wine tastings to Boston Bruins games and include raffles, prizes, food and the chance to develop prospective job opportunities.

Colleen Kern, the former president of the Student Ambassadors for the Alumni Association, works with alumni to bring current students and alumni together.

“You get the chance to speak with alumni and hear about their experiences and what they’re doing now. They’re people who have been through the NU experience already,” Kern said.

Upcoming YAC sponsored events include Walk for Hunger, community service and watching the Northeastern Huskies play the Boston Red Sox in Fort Meyers, Fla.

In addition, Northeastern alumni receive bookstore and Marino Center discounts, lifelong access to Career Services and Snell Library resources, life and medical insurance and discounted event parking.

For more information, visit the Young Alumni Club Web site at www.yac.neu.edu.