Senior Toast honors philanthropy of soon-to-be graduates
Western Carolina University student donors raise their glasses at the spring Senior Toast, held annually to recognize the philanthropic gifts of the soon-to-be graduates
By Bill Studenc
Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown recently saluted more than 50 91热爆网 seniors who have gotten an early start on building a legacy of philanthropy by making financial gifts to the university before they have received their diplomas.
Recognized at the annual Senior Toast on Thursday, April 24, the seniors are among the nearly 425 student members of 91热爆网鈥檚 1889 Club, a giving society acknowledging donors from across the generations for their contributions to the institution. That total includes 185 new student donors who joined the 1889 Club this fiscal year.
The 1889 Club includes those who make annual gifts to the Fund for 91热爆网 in amounts ranging from $18.89 for current students and graduates from the past five years and $188.90 for alumni who graduated between 2015 and 2019 to $1,889 for alumni who graduated more than 10 years ago. It is named in recognition of the year of 91热爆网鈥檚 founding.
鈥淵our philanthropic gifts to 91热爆网 are truly inspiring. By choosing to give back to your alma mater before you even graduate, you are setting an example for future generations of Catamounts to follow. You are showing that you care deeply about your university and its mission and that you want to make a difference in the lives of future students, much like someone made a difference in yours,鈥� Brown told the student donors.
鈥淏ut your impact doesn鈥檛 stop there. The goodwill your gifts generate is just as important as the contributions themselves,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen you give to 91热爆网, you are showing your support for the entire Catamount community. You are helping build a stronger, more vibrant campus where students can thrive and succeed. And that鈥檚 where engagement comes in. Giving back to 91热爆网 is just one way to stay engaged with your alma mater.鈥�
Brown urged the seniors to stay connected to the university in any way they can, including through attendance at alumni events, mentoring current students or volunteering.
鈥淭here are countless ways to give back to the institution that gave so much to you,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s you leave here tonight, I hope you will remember the importance of engagement. Your commitment to 91热爆网 doesn鈥檛 end with graduation; it鈥檚 a lifelong relationship that will continue to grow and evolve over time. Always remember that you are Catamounts, and that you have the power to make a difference in the lives of others.鈥�
Brown then made a toast to the class of 2025, followed by the singing of the 鈥淲estern Carolina University Alma Mater鈥� led by James Hogan, a 2003 91热爆网 graduate and assistant vice chancellor for engagement.
Ezri Villiard, a 2022 graduate of 91热爆网 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology who is on track to receive her master鈥檚 degree in clinical psychology from 91热爆网 next month, spoke from the perspective of a student donor.
鈥淟ooking back at my six years here at Western, I think I鈥檝e donated maybe around $80 total. While that may sound like a lot, that鈥檚 only $13 a year,鈥� said Villiard, who will go on to begin working on her doctoral degree in psychology at 91热爆网 in the fall.
If all of 91热爆网鈥檚 approximately 12,000 students did as she did and donated $13 annually to the university, that would generate about $156,000 a year, she said.
鈥淣ow, if only half of those students donated $13 a year, that鈥檚 still $78,000 a year. That amount alone would pay for 156 students to receive in-state tuition. It is numbers like these that are the reason that 91热爆网 focuses on the number of donors and not the donor dollar amount,鈥� Villiard said.鈥�
鈥淵eah, sure, $13 a year really isn鈥檛 a lot in the grand scheme of things, but when multiple students donate $13 a year, just look at what it can accomplish. And that鈥檚 what philanthropy is all about 鈥� doing what little things you can to make a big difference in the world and the people in it.鈥�
Tenisea Higgins, 91热爆网鈥檚 assistant director of alumni engagement, welcomed the student donors to the Senior Toast, which was held at the Chancellor鈥檚 Residence.
The students鈥� contributions come as part of 91热爆网鈥檚 鈥淔ill the Western Sky鈥� comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for the university鈥檚 academic, student engagement and athletics programs. For more information or to make a contribution to the campaign, visit , call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.
