UGA Class of 2025 leaves their legacy ahead of graduation
The annual Senior Signature campaign brings together the graduating class to contribute a gift to the university and leave a legacy on campus for years to come. This year, the Class of 2025 broke records for the giving campaign, securing over 3,400 gifts from members of the graduating class for the first time.
In total, the Class of 2025 contributed over $115,000 through the Senior Signature campaign, UGA’s class gift program that has been in place since 1991. Undergraduate, graduate and professional students are all invited to participate in the campaign.
“Giving back to the university is extremely important for students because it encourages us to invest in the future of our campus and understand the true purpose of what it means to donate to the university,” said Danielle Jones, vice president of philanthropy for the Student Alumni Council, the on-campus student group responsible for organizing the campaign. “Choosing to give back as current students at UGA helps to create an atmosphere where students are eager to remain connected after graduation and help to make our second home a better place.”
Jones and her fellow members of the UGA Student Alumni Council engage their peers throughout the year through fundraising events, peer-to-peer education and tabling on campus, all in an effort to connect current students with alumni and to participate in campus traditions that enhance the student experience. They also strive to impress upon other students the importance of giving back philanthropically to UGA.
“Senior Signature is important because it educates students on the true meaning of philanthropy and allows SAC members to have a platform where we can encourage other students to be involved in the university and its traditions,” said Jones. “We can all help to create a brighter future for students by being involved. Whether it’s through education or donations, both SAC members and other students on campus are all making a difference at UGA.”
The minimum Senior Signature donation is $30 and serves as an opportunity for students to learn how financial support can be designated to a variety of funds across campus. Each student donor is invited to direct $20 of their gift to an area of campus that made a positive impact on their time here. This year, students contributed to 544 funds at UGA, with many gifts going toward academic or education funds like the State Botanical Garden Excellence Fund and the Honors Fund of Excellence.
The remaining $10 of a student’s donation is combined with other class members’ gifts to provide grant funding to a student organization of the group’s choice. This year, student donors selected Spike Squad to receive the grant during the upcoming academic year. The organization, a staple at UGA sporting events and perhaps most notably football games, plans to utilize the funds to support UGA recruitment efforts across the Athens community by providing local families the opportunity to connect with Spike Squad members and current UGA students during gamedays.
The 2025 Senior Signature campaign set out with a goal of inspiring 3,250 graduating students to make a gift and cement their legacy at the university. The goal was surpassed with more than a month left before graduation ceremonies across campus commence. For Jones and the SAC, the campaign results have been a resounding endorsement of their classmates’ commitment to the university, even as they prepare for their next steps.
“It’s so encouraging to see how many students chose to make their mark and be a part of something bigger than themselves,” Jones concludes. “It goes to show that students care about leaving their mark on campus, but they also care about so many different areas on campus, and they want to give back to those areas before they graduate.”
