This Wednesday, February 12 is Wesleyan Giving Day and this year’s Giving Day theme is “We Are Wesleyan”—a theme that highlights the power of community among our students, families, staff, faculty, and alumni, on campus and beyond, wherever Wesleyans find themselves in the world.
Wesleyan is comprised of people with different views, different dreams, different concerns, and many kinds of hope. At Wesleyan we learn how to create solidarity among people who may not agree on everything – and to be energized by each other’s achievements.
This spirit is infused into every day on campus. I was recently invited by Maria-Christina Oliveras to attend the performance final for her musical theater course. I joined a group of spectators—including faculty from areas like Government and Economics and students who were friends of roommates’ friends. Together, we watched athletes, neuroscience majors, painters, and others on stage, performing songs ranging from spirituals to Broadway classics. It was wonderful and distinctly Wesleyan. Performers and spectators supporting one another, bound in community.
People ask me all the time if fundraising is the hardest part about being a university president. I tell them no, it’s the best part, because it’s all about supporting our amazing students.
In my 18 years in this role, I’ve seen our donors succeed in making Wesleyan more financially sustainable. I’ve seen them succeed in growing Wesleyan’s sense of community. But though our community has grown, so too have its financial needs. These are challenging times, and our students need our support more than ever.
Please show your pride in our community today by making a gift to celebrate that We Are Wesleyan.