The scholarship created by Elon parents William and Laura Wilson P’23 will help recruit outstanding students who will become graduates the world needs. The couple’s gift has helped fuel the success of the Elon LEADS Campaign.
Elon parents Will and Laura Wilson P’23 of Wellesley, Massachusetts, have made a generous gift to the Elon LEADS Campaign to endow the Wilson Family Elon Engagement Scholarship. The couple was inspired to make their gift because of the life-changing education their daughter Ellie ’23 has received at Elon.
“We’ve been incredibly impressed with Elon,” Laura Wilson said. “Our daughter has received an amazing education, including a wonderful internship over the summer, so we couldn’t be more excited about supporting Elon.”
“Elon is doing an exceptional job designing a curriculum that, while grounded in the liberal arts, provides a catalog of electives with opportunities for students to gain targeted skills and knowledge that will propel their career journeys,” Will said. “We have been impressed by the strength of the faculty and the balance of social and academic opportunities on campus.”
Deepening scholarship funding is the top priority of the Elon LEADS Campaign, which concludes on Dec. 31.
Elon Engagement Scholarships are designed for promising incoming students who embody the spirit and values of Elon and are eager to benefit from the university’s national leadership in engaged learning. The scholarships include a one-time grant for students to participate in the renowned Elon Experiences programs, including global study, internships, undergraduate research, service learning and leadership development.
In addition to their endowment gift, the Wilsons have consistently supported scholarships with their annual gifts. Contributing to scholarships to broaden access to Elon is near and dear to the couple’s heart.
“Education equals opportunity. A productive society hinges on access to quality education for all. Education will, in turn, open doors for all kinds of success,” Laura said. “Having worked in education myself, I feel very strongly about supporting any individual’s aspiration to attend college.”
Will agrees. “Education is a building block to living the most holistic life you can live, and education gives you perspective and opportunity,” he said. “We have a great appreciation for how competitive it is for schools to recruit the students they want to be a part of their student body, and we feel fortunate and grateful to be able to help put Elon in the best position to succeed. Scholarships can do that. We feel this is a great investment.”
“Elon is grateful to the Wilson family for their generous gift and for making an Elon education possible for students we want to enroll on our campus,” said John Gardner ’01, senior director of development at Elon.
The Wilsons have students at multiple colleges and universities and were impressed with how Elon navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, including remaining committed to in-person learning.
“Elon has done a tremendous job executing and delivering for students and parents during very challenging times,” Will said. “It is an understatement to say the pandemic challenged higher education execution nationally. Laura and I feel that Elon effectively responded, reinforcing our confidence in Elon’s leadership.”
“Elon did such a great job helping students,” Laura said. “Because of the way Elon handled the pandemic, our daughter came out of it even stronger.”
The Elon LEADS Campaign
Elon LEADS is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university’s history and supports four main priorities: scholarships to support graduates the world needs, increased access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research and internships, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter, and development of Elon’s iconic campus.
Every gift to the university—including annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts—for any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen Elon for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact now, visit www.elonleads.com.