Alumni and Friends Making an Impact
Impact in Action
At UD we give back and get active together. There are currently more than 40 student clubs dedicated to service and social justice, and the number continues to grow as we learn more about our world by exploring and understanding differing perspectives and experiences.
One club has been instrumental in helping the University inspire action and understanding on campus: Students for University Advancement. SUA builds lifelong relationships between current students and the University of Dayton through networking, service and philanthropy. These students are connecting with alumni, UD staff and fellow students. They are lifting up all Flyers while getting hands-on experience in fundraising and institutional development.
Creating and sustaining community is critical to UD. Just as critical is our effort to make UD affordable for any student who wants to call UD home. As President Eric F. Spina recently stated, we will only achieve our goals for the future if we build upon the number of Flyers who deeply engage with UD. Alumni giving makes a difference for every Flyer, and the University and SUA are working hard to make sure each Flyer generation gets the same boost.
As the University prepared to celebrate all supporters during Donor Appreciation Week (Nov. 12-18), members of SUA reached out to the UD community to educate and inspire. Annie Sherman, a senior in marketing and current president of SUA, recently shared Welcome Back Flyers, an article about several of the projects and activities that members have been working on since the beginning of the year.
In her article, she also expressed how SUA views its role with UD when she wrote, “As an organization, we are so grateful to be a part of such incredible and enriching experiences that reinforce the Marianist values that are the backbone of the mission of the University.”
So, when the Class of ’23 topped every class with 249 gifts during One Day, One Dayton, and a record 18 seniors graduated as members of the Front Porch Society (donors who make gifts of any size for three consecutive years), it showed us that the work we’re doing to cultivate a campus culture of philanthropy is making a difference.
That work will definitely change lives, as more students who want to learn, lead and serve as only a Marianist community can, will be able to call the University of Dayton home. Way to go, Flyers!