As an Allegheny alumna, Rachel Dingman ’08 says she now has two priorities: Bringing her former classmates together to celebrate Reunion Weekend on campus and providing support for the College.
Rachel had the distinction of being the youngest-ever Timothy Alden Council (TAC) donor at Allegheny, meaning that she donated $1,815 as a new graduate to help boost the College’s programs.
“Giving to Allegheny was a simple choice for me,” she says. “Allegheny had given me so much — from my incredible group of friends to a foundation that has carried me through all of my future education.”
For a young woman busy tending to her career, Rachel continues to devote much of her volunteer time and effort to helping current Allegheny students find academic success and to bringing her former classmates together for landmark reunions.
Rachel graduated from Allegheny in 2008 and returned to the College in 2010 to work in the Admissions Office and as the director of Hillel, a Jewish student organization.
“I spent five amazing years working for Allegheny and figuring out my relationship as an alumna and employee,” says Rachel. “During that time, I served as the co-chair for the first-ever five-year reunion celebrated by a single class. It was incredible to watch our class come together, raise money, and reunite back on campus. I caught the reunion bug quickly, and I am currently co-chairing our 10-year reunion this summer.”
In 2015, Rachel left Allegheny and moved to Israel to pursue an opportunity at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. “I spent two years there and received a certificate in experiential Jewish education. During that time, I continued to support Allegheny by serving as a part-time application reader for the Admissions Office,” she says.
Rachel returned to the United States in May 2017 and is now the assistant director for Penn State Hillel, working at the University Park campus. “I manage our student life team (four professional staff members), work with our student leaders, facilitate a Jewish learning seminar, manage and strategize use of our data, and work with an incredible team to figure out how to serve all of our 4,000 Jewish students on campus,” she says.
But her alma mater is never far from her thoughts, and devoting time to organizing reunions and continuing to support the College financially is part of Rachel’s philanthropic plan.
“I have seen the benefits of donating every day. Giving was never a question — in terms of giving at the TAC level — this was a very practical decision,” says Rachel. “Giving a portion of your salary to the community is a Jewish tradition that I strongly connect to. In the times of the Torah, farmers were required to give 10 percent of the crops they raised to serve their community.
“Allegheny has helped me establish my career and had put me in a place financially that I could give to my community from my salary every month. It was easy to do, financially responsible, and helped me get closer to living out a value that I hold dear,” she says. “I am proud to have been able to give at the level I did, and that I am now able to continue giving at the TAC level.”