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Before Commencement in May, 1,195 members of the Class of 2016 made gifts to the annual Senior Class Fund, representing a record-high 76 percent participation rate.

“We are extremely proud of these students for their investment and leadership,” says Kyle McGowan, assistant vice chancellor for annual giving. “Annual donors are critical to our ability to offer our students a great Ģ����Ƶ experience. It’s exciting to see that our recent alumni understand that by giving back, they can make a difference for those who will follow in their footsteps.”

The Senior Class Fund tradition allows Ģ����Ƶ seniors to come together as a class and leave their mark on Ģ����Ƶ by supporting the programs that have meant the most to them during their time as Commodores.

By reaching their goal of 75 percent class participation, the Class of 2016 secured a challenge gift of $25,000 from member Alex Taylor, BS’97. Taylor gave an additional $25,000 to further encourage senior giving. These challenge gifts will support Experience Ģ����Ƶ, a new program that provides need-based grants to students so they can participate in organizations or co-curricular experiences they may not otherwise be able to afford.

“Giving back as a current student is your personal way of saying thank you to the areas of campus that made your time at Ģ����Ƶ such a unique experience,” says Lindsay Edwards, BA’16, overall chair of the 2016 Senior Class Fund.

Edwards and her team of Senior Class Fund officers worked throughout the academic year to educate their classmates and to encourage student philanthropy.

“We just facilitated the gifts,” says Edwards. “It’s the students who stopped by our tables or came to our events and gave back … those are the people impacting Ģ����Ƶ.”

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—JULIA STUMP