During our years in college, most of us were blithely unaware of the impact that alumni contributions had on our academic careers. Scholarships, cultural events, conferences — they just happened. Without understanding the direct correlation between our colleges’ fundraising efforts and our own experiences, it may have taken us a while to begin making our own gifts. The Allegheny Student Advancement Association (ASAA) was established in 2014 by a group of students whose goal was to shorten that learning curve among their peers.
The ASAA is increasing awareness among their classmates and friends about the impact that donors make on their lives, and at the same time, they are helping donors to comprehend just what their support means on campus. This year, a leadership council of eight students has been coordinating a variety of fun, campus-based activities, including a popular trivia game where students earned prizes for correctly answering questions about historical and contemporary giving at Allegheny; a donor panel discussion about giving of one’s self and one’s finances; and Love-a-Donor Days — a week-long event that culminates in students, faculty, and staff writing hundreds of thank you notes to contributors.
Junior Sadie Longo ’19 sums up the feelings of her fellow ASAA members when she writes, “I love having a part in educating the Allegheny community about the great things made possible through alumni and donor involvement. Being able to become the bridge between current students and alumni has been a truly rewarding experience.”