Message to Alumni, January 2025
A Message to Alumni of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences
From the January 2025 Alumni Newsletter
Browsing social media over the holiday break, I saw that a dean colleague and her partner donated $200,000 to their undergraduate alma mater. Knowing this now-retired dean of arts and sciences, I was not surprised that she “gave back” to her undergraduate institution. I messaged to congratulate her for making such a generous gift. She responded frankly that their alma mater “gave us both a solid foundation and some of the most amazing lifetime friends.” Within a text, I learned something that I should have known: People give for reasons that are deeply personal and reflective of the past.
Similarly, I give back to my alma maters because I left both institutions transformed from how I entered. Within my first month of graduate school classes, I realized the high-quality education my undergraduate professors provided me. My first donations, though small at the time, were because of my personal experiences and accolades in graduate school. I wanted to ensure that both institutions continue to thrive and invest in students like me – first-generation college students of color. Whenever I receive publications from my alma maters, I am reminded of this, and I am compelled to give.
Within Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and at Elon University, we are busy planning for another opportunity for alumni to give back: Elon Day. That is, an opportunity for you to give back on behalf of staff, teachers, custodians, and administrators who contributed to your growth and development; to give back to a place that nurtured you during young adulthood, where life-long friendships developed, ideas were tried and tested, and destinies imagined under the oaks.
This year, Elon Day is Thursday, March 6. Gifts to the College and its programs on this annual day of giving enable us to provide those same transformative experiences and opportunities into the future.
As dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, I applaud and thank so many of you who are consistent donors and supporters, whether you support the Fire of the Carolinas Marching Band, the Elon College Fellows, or the academic departments that house your undergraduate major, minor or concentration. As a leading college of arts and sciences for undergraduate teaching, your generous support allows us to grow and develop to meet the interdisciplinary and technological needs of the 21st century. We hope that as you enjoy this newsletter, you will find a reason to give that is both personal and reflective of your time at Elon.