UGA donors set record with 11,091 gifts in 24 hours

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University of Georgia supporters set a single-day giving record for the second consecutive year when donors made 11,091 gifts to the university during UGA’s Dawg Day of Giving on March 30.

“I am grateful to our amazing donors for their support on Dawg Day of Giving,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We owe so much of our success to their strong and steadfast commitment to UGA’s progress. This outpouring of support will elevate our students, our university and our state for years to come.”

UGA’s goal for the day was 10,000 gifts—after reaching 9,339 gifts on last year’s giving day—and donors surpassed that mark around 10:45 p.m. EST. Gifts totaled $5.6 million, and donors hailed from all 50 states.

“I hope that every donor who contributed yesterday—whether they gave $5 or $500—understands the enormity of this day and their role in it,” said Kelly Kerner, UGA vice president for development and alumni relations. “This one day will impact Georgia for generations through scholarship support, enhanced campus resources and greater access to educational opportunities, and it’s all because of the Bulldog Nation.”

President Jere W. Morehead talks with a student at the 2023 Dawg Day of Giving event at Tate Plaza. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

President Jere W. Morehead talks with a student at the 2023 Dawg Day of Giving event at Tate Plaza. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Giving challenges were a feature throughout the day, incentivizing donors to contribute by unlocking additional funds for UGA once a donation goal was met. Some challenges were open to all donors, while others looked for donations to a specific fund or from a specific audience, such as students, who surpassed their challenge goal with 1,264 donors. Schools and colleges also competed with one another for the most gifts to their area to unlock additional donations. Fulfilled challenges resulted in more than $100,000 in additional funding.

Notable Bulldogs and friends of the university helped promote Dawg Day of Giving, including head football coach Kirby Smart, Southern Living producer Ivy Odom Aponte and Atlanta meteorologist Chris Holcomb. Dawg Day of Giving events on campus energized students, faculty and staff, and more than two dozen UGA Alumni Association chapter events spurred donations from New York, San Diego, Chicago and elsewhere across the country.

“When we talk about the power of Bulldog Nation, this is precisely what we mean,” said Yvette Daniels, president of the UGA Alumni Association. “The unity and devotion this university inspires came to life in a beautiful way for Dawg Day of Giving. I am always proud to be a Bulldog, but especially so today.”

Those unable to donate on Dawg Day of Giving can still make a difference at UGA. Visit givingday.uga.edu to make a gift, learn more about the day and see leaderboards for a variety of giving categories.

2023 Dawg Day of Giving event at Tate Plaza. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

2023 Dawg Day of Giving event at Tate Plaza. (Photo by Chamberlain Smith/UGA)

Dawg Day of Giving results

A vision of service—in the service of vision

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This story was written by Charles McNair.

Dr. Jack Schaeffer (BBA ’72) first visited the University of Georgia on a football weekend.

“I always thought I’d go to Tulane,” he recalled. “But the experience at a Georgia-Vanderbilt game and that whole weekend changed me. In my mind, I’ve never left Athens, Georgia, since. UGA is the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

Jack’s three children had similar insights.

Dr. Brooke Schaeffer Kaplan (BS ’03) planned to attend the University of Texas, but she took time to visit a cousin’s sorority house at UGA.

Brooke Schaeffer Kaplan in 1999, with the cousin she visited her first day on campus

Brooke Schaeffer Kaplan (left) in 1999, with the cousin she visited on the campus trip that convinced her to attend UGA

“I got to campus, and I knew it was where I was supposed to be,” Brooke said. “I felt that sense of community. I was searching for a sense of belonging—UGA made me feel the way I wanted to feel.”

Dr. Mark Schaeffer (BBA ’06) knew UGA’s pull long before he arrived as a student.

The Schaeffers had cheered at Georgia football games for years from a family suite at the UGA Center for Continuing Education. The day Mark walked onto campus as a student, he already felt like an ambassador for the school—and then he was one, becoming a Visitor Center tour guide.

“I was an official representative of UGA,” he said. “It was so rewarding to just talk about how great UGA is. I felt like I helped high school visitors decide to come to college here.”

Dr. David Schaeffer (BS ’12) is the most recent family UGA alum. Though he’d been accepted at another prestigious university, he just couldn’t imagine himself there.

“I’d gone to Athens dozens and dozens of times,” he said. “I didn’t have to picture myself there. I just felt like I already was there.”

Jack and David Schaeffer shake hands after David's graduation in Sanford Stadium.

Jack and David Schaeffer shake hands after David’s graduation in Sanford Stadium.

The eyes have it

All four Schaeffers, two generations, followed their 20/20 UGA visions into the same field of study: optometry.

Jack set up practice as founder and CEO of Schaeffer Eye Center in Birmingham, Alabama, after advanced study at Southern College of Optometry. His firm grew to 18 locations and a refractive laser center before he sold it to MyEyeDr in 2017.

The Schaeffer kids grew up in a world of eye charts, lenses, and frames.

“Schaeffer Eye Center was basically a family business,” Jack said. “All my children participated in the practice. And they all understood we were not only an eye clinic, but a community company.

“We cared for patients. We cared for families. We cared for our communities. We always believed in being something bigger than just a business.”

David, Mark and Jack Schaeffer in 2016, after Mark was named one of UGA's 40 Under 40.

David, Mark and Jack Schaeffer in 2016, after Mark was named one of UGA’s 40 Under 40.

UGA focused the Schaeffers on service

Brooke works today as a clinical assistant professor at UAB in addition to practicing optometry at MyEyeDr as a market clinical manager. Mark serves not only in MyEyeDr but also within the larger optometric community as a board member of the Intrepid Eye Society. David joined the family business after he finished studies at the Illinois College of Optometry.

All three Schaeffer kids say UGA prepared them for lives of service.

“We all wanted to do something bigger than just serve ourselves,” said Brooke. “We all wanted to help people in some way.”

Brooke lauds UGA professors for sharpening her professional capabilities. “I learned time management skills. I learned study skills. I had the ability to talk with my professors one-on-one. It set me up for success.”

Mark strongly credits UGA for his community consciousness.

“The environment at the university emphasized collaborative learning and collaborative work to create a better student,” he said. “I’ve had the privilege to work in many different settings using the shared community to promote growth not only in myself but also in the greater world.”

Among David’s favorite memories is a scavenger hunt held at his induction into the Dean William Tate Honor Society, the most prestigious honor UGA can bestow on a first-year student. The hunt took him to notable locations on campus, ending at the Founders Memorial Garden.

“It was a search for something hidden, that you might miss if you didn’t have some idea of what you were looking for,” David said. “It was powerful and memorable.”

The scavenger hunt could serve as a metaphor for what every scholar at UGA seeks.

David, Brooke and Mark Schaeffer in 2017, at the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta

David, Brooke and Mark Schaeffer in 2017, at the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta

Understanding this, the Schaeffers have always placed great value on giving back—to communities and organizations and institutions that help shape values, instill wisdom, and equip people to succeed in life.

Jack, the patriarch, speaks for the whole Schaeffer family.

“When you are passionate about a place, a cause, or an institution, it is imperative that you demonstrate that passion by being involved,” he said. “That includes gifts of time and money. There should be a commitment to both.

“It does so much good when you give back. And it just feels good.”

Connect with UGA Alumni

UGA Class of 2022 achieves 96% career outcomes rate

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Class of 2022 results are in, and once again, University of Georgia graduates have shown that their experience as UGA students prepared them to succeed beyond graduation.

According to career outcomes data released by the UGA Career Center, 96% of UGA Class of 2022 graduates were employed or continuing their education within six months of graduation.

This year marks UGA’s 11th consecutive year with a career outcomes rate of 90% or higher. The career outcomes rate of UGA’s previous seven graduating classes has consistently been 8% to 11% higher than the national career outcomes rate, as published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

Among the Class of 2022 UGA graduates, 63% reported being employed full time; 24% were continuing their education; and 10% were engaged in post-graduate internships, fellowships, residencies, postdoctoral research, part-time jobs or said they were not seeking employment.

“This impressive career outcomes rate reflects the positive impact of numerous collaborative efforts undertaken by the UGA community to prepare our students for successful careers,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “It is clear that a UGA education provides an extraordinary return on investment for our students and their families.”

UGA Class of 2022 graduates were hired by 2,998 unique employers and are working full time across a wide range of sectors, including:

  • Business: 68%
  • Education: 20%
  • Government: 7%
  • Nonprofits: 6%

Top employers include Amazon, Bank of America, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chick-fil-A, Delta Air Lines, PricewaterhouseCoopers and The Home Depot. See the full list.

GAINING EMPLOYMENT

Class of 2022 graduate Jessica Tardy found employment as a product analyst with FLEETCOR Technologies in Atlanta, where she manages customer insights, tests customer journeys, and coordinates product changes between cross-functional teams. Tardy says the UGA Career Center aided her search by connecting her with alumni through LinkedIn, TerryConnect and the UGA Mentor Program.

Like Tardy, 87% of graduates employed full time or in post-graduate internships reported that their job aligns with their career aspirations. Additionally, more than half of survey respondents who indicated that they were employed had secured their employment prior to graduation.

As a land-grant and sea-grant institution, UGA is committed to supporting Georgia’s workforce needs. Of the Class of 2022 graduates, 69% accepted jobs within Georgia, strengthening organizations and communities across the state. The remaining 31% secured positions across 48 U.S. states and 31 countries.

FURTHERING EDUCATION

Jaquarius K. Raglin is a 2022 graduate who chose to continue his education, pursuing a Master in the Study of Law from the University of Georgia’s School of Law. He is preparing for a career in health policy and credits the UGA Career Center with helping him prepare for life after school, especially through on-campus resume review days, one-on-one appointments with career consultants and finding a mentor through the UGA Mentor Program.

Raglin represents the 24% of Class of 2022 graduates who are now furthering their education in top schools such as Columbia University, New York University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Vanderbilt University and, of course, UGA.

The UGA Career Center calculates the career outcomes rate each January by collecting information from surveys, phone calls, employer reporting, UGA departments, the National Student Clearinghouse and social media websites such as LinkedIn. The current data is based on the known career outcomes of 8,073 graduates from the Class of 2022.

NOTE: Percentages may add up to over 100 because of rounding.

For more information about the Class of 2022 career outcomes, visit career.uga.edu/outcomes.

To learn about hiring UGA graduates, visit hireuga.com.

 

VISIT THE UGA CAREER CENTER