Class hopes to honor year with $2,013 scholarship
Stephen Trinkwald
Equinox Staff
The Keene State College class of 2013 is planning on doing something no KSC class did before: presenting a donation gift at graduation. The senior class is attempting to raise $2,013 in honor of their class year. The money raised will be donated to the KSC Fund, a fund that uses money in various forms. This money specifically will be donated with the purpose of going to financial aid and scholarships to help students. Assistant Director of Annual Giving Lindsay Taflas said the donation isn’t aimed to help just one student in the form of a scholarship, but rather a gift to the fund, which could end up helping multiple students.
“The KSC fund is an unrestricted fund, so it can be used wherever the need is greatest on campus, but this year the college has said the need is greatest with scholarship and financial aid, so that gift of $2,013 that they are trying to raise going to the KSC fund will then be dispersed out across the board so that everyone gets a little slice of that pie,” Taflas said.
She continued said the senior class has been attending various events to raise money, and plan on continuing to do so. Taflas said only about $200 has been raised so far, but she is pleased with the progress in relation to how active the fundraising has been. KSC senior Renee Giles said she has already donated to the gift, and she is proud of the senior class for stepping up and starting a tradition. Giles said the size of the donation isn’t nearly as meaningful as the act of donating. Giles said she wants to make giving back to KSC an annual tradition for herself. “By me giving $5 for the rest of my life every year back to Keene State College, that’s letting everyone else know that’s a great school and I’m glad I went there and glad I got my education from there. It’s more of a symbol and less about the dollar amount,” Giles said.
Giles added that she believes sometimes students or alumni are hesitant to donate because they are unsure if their money will go to the proper place, but that the money donated for this gift will be used to help students pay for school.
“I think that students kind of picture–after they graduate and they think of giving back to the school–they picture their self at a table, all these guys who are asking for more of your money. No, it’s students that are going to benefit to you giving back,” Giles said. Vice President of the senior class executive board Kaleigh Liupakka said that senior gift giving is common among other schools, particularly those in the University System of New Hampshire. Liupakka said she’s glad KSC has stepped up to the plate.
“The other colleges that are part of the University System do have senior class gifts so the reason that we decided to get involved with it is that Keene State College is part of the university system and it would be nice to follow suit,” Liupakka said.
Liupakka explained she wants to give back to the school that gave her four years of lifelong memories. Liupakka said that the gift is a reflection of students’ selflessness. “The people who have participated in this, it just shows how we’re not just here for ourselves. Not only are we coming to college to better the lives of ourselves but also the lives of everyone here,” Liupakka said. Liupakka said making a donation isn’t about how much you give as much as it is the notion of giving back something, regardless of the size of the donation. Liupakka said even a small donation can end up making a difference. “There’s roughly 1,000 people in the senior class, so if every person gave $1, think of all the ways that could benefit students,” Liupakka said. Senior Class President Allison Hammell mirrored this sentiment.
“Even a little bit can really help us go a long way,” Hammell said. Liupakka said she finds it disappointing to see students have to see their college career cut short, or extended, because of financial issues. “It’s unfortunate when people, especially in their junior or senior year when they’ve spent so much time here and invested so much money, are unable to continue their education because of financial reasons,” Liupakka said. She said she is confident they will reach the goal of $2,013, but if they fall short, they have no problem donating whatever amount they have raised. Hammell plans on presenting the gift to the college at graduation. Hammell said this will be a very special experience for her.
“I am so psyched to present this gift, just because it’s the first time we’ve done a senior gift in so long and it just helps so much financially. Knowing that it’s going to benefit and help a student reach their goal and reach their full growth is just so meaingful,” Hammell said. Hammell said the gift speaks to
the kind of people who make up this year’s senior class. “I think it represents that our senior class is stepping up to a challenge that hasn’t taken place in a while and we’re just showing that our class has a lot of leadership ability and that we’re just very dedicated to the college,” Hammell said, “We just want to help future students so that they can have a great experience like we had.”
The senior class will be collecting donations throughout the remainder of the semester, including setting up stations in the student center and holding a giving event on Reading Day.
Donations can also be made on the website of the Alumni Center and through the Senior Class E-board’s Facebook page.
Whether the entirety of the $2,013 is raised or not, the class of 2012 is set to make KSC history come this graduation season.
Stephen Trinkwald can be contacted at
strinkwald@keene-equinox.com