Spotlight on UGA students

2023 UGA graduates set class giving record

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Senior Signature campaign supports strong overall student giving

Each University of Georgia graduating class contributes a gift to the university to mark their legacy on campus for generations of students to come, and the Class of 2023 has taken this tradition to new levels.

The 2023 graduating class set a record when 3,377 of them—more than any other year—contributed over $112,000 through Senior Signature, the university’s class gift program that has been in place since 1991. Undergraduate, graduate and professional students were invited to participate in the campaign.

Madison Polk, Class of 2023

Madison Polk, outgoing president of the UGA Student Alumni Council and the 2022 Homecoming Queen, is proud of her peers for giving back in record numbers through Senior Signature.

“I am so proud of my fellow members of the Class of 2023,” said Madison Polk, outgoing president of the UGA Student Alumni Council and the 2022 Homecoming Queen. “Even in a challenging economic environment, the students at UGA right now are driven by their passions and are committed to leaving things better than they found them.”

The minimum Senior Signature donation is $30 and is an opportunity for students to learn how financial support can be designated to funds across campus in which students are interested. Each student donor is invited to direct $20 of their gift to an area of campus that enhanced their student experience. This year, students contributed to more than 500 funds at UGA.

The remaining $10 of a student’s donation is pooled with peer gifts to provide grant funding to a student organization. Each student donor gets to vote on which organization receives the financial support to create awareness of philanthropic needs on campus. This year, student donors selected Period Project at UGA to receive the grant during the upcoming academic year to support its student-led initiatives.

In addition to supporting future generations of Bulldogs, student donors’ names will be engraved on the Class of 2023 plaque in Tate Plaza, just steps away from Sanford Stadium, Tate Student Center and Memorial Hall. The plaque will be installed ahead of Spring Commencement.

Record student giving
Polk and fellow members of the UGA Student Alumni Council engage their peers throughout the year to connect with alumni, to participate in campus traditions that enhance the student experience—and to give back philanthropically to UGA. Their efforts, which include hosting fundraising events, peer-to-peer education via social media and email, and tabling on campus during the 2022-2023 academic year, resulted in record levels of overall student giving to the university. More than 4,600 students contributed over $400,000 to support the university now and for generations to come.

“It’s not just seniors giving back,” said Polk. “Students even in their first years on campus contributed through initiatives such as Beat Week, Dawg Day of Giving, and other special fundraising campaigns. Paying it forward is a hallmark of being a Georgia Bulldog.”

To learn more about Senior Signature, go to alumni.uga.edu/seniorsignature.

UGA National Student Speech Language Hearing Association receives 2022 Class Gift

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Each year, the University of Georgia’s graduating class leaves their mark on campus through Senior Signature, a program that empowers students to create a positive impact on a school, college, campus organization or scholarship that shaped their experience at UGA. Through a $30 gift, students are able to designate $20 to an area of their choice with the remaining $10 benefiting the Class Gift, which is awarded to an on-campus organization each year. All Senior Signature donors are eligible to participate in selecting the organization that receives funding from their Class Gift.

The Class of 2022 selected the UGA Chapter of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association (NSSLHA) as the recipient of their Class Gift. The NSSLHA is a group of students with a shared interest in communications sciences and disorders. The organization is based in the Mary Frances Early College of Education and focuses on fundraising for the UGA Speech and Hearing Clinic to support clients in need of financial assistance and to purchase clinic materials or equipment. In addition, the NSSLHA participates in community-service projects each year through local elementary schools.

During the 2022-2023 academic year, the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association used the funds they received through the 2022 Class Gift to provide training in Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing for graduate students pursuing careers in speech-language pathology (SLP). “Having this training will allow me to participate in swallowing evaluations during my clinical internships, that I would not have been allowed to participate in without the training,” says graduate student Ansley Messina. By providing access to additional certifications, the NSSLHA is able to prepare students for their professional career, give a competitive advantage in the job market, and lessen their students’ financial burden after graduation.

“Receiving training in Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) was incredibly invaluable, especially as someone who is interested in pursuing a career in medical speech-language pathology. Not many students, or even professionals within the field receive this training for an evaluation tool that is crucial in determining an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan,” says graduate student Sam Schonhardt. “The course challenged me to integrate my academic knowledge with professional skills in a hands-on format, and it greatly improved my preparedness for my internship in an acute care hospital where FEES is utilized daily. I’m incredibly grateful to the faculty, staff, and students who made this training possible through the 2022 Class Gift.”

UGA student organizations are eligible to apply for the Class Gift each Spring to receive up to $6,000 in funds for the following academic year. One organization is chosen per year. The deadline to submit an application for the 2023-2024 academic year is Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.

 

Class Gift FAQs

 

Submit a Class Gift Application

Students develop sustainability solutions for Delta Air Lines

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This story was originally published on UGA Today on Dec. 6, 2022.

Delta Air Lines has a strong commitment to sustainability and often partners with higher education institutions and other organizations to advance its goals. Through the Delta Design Challenge and efforts led by Delta’s innovation and sustainability teams, University of Georgia students were given the opportunity to answer the call to help create a more sustainable world.

Over the past several weeks, eight teams of five UGA students have been competing in the Delta Design Challenge. The challenge focused on helping the company to eliminate single-use plastic bottles on its flights. On Dec. 1, the teams, formed through UGA’s Student Industry Fellows Program (SIFP), pitched their solutions to a panel of Delta executives.

“We are really energized by the ideas UGA students presented to reduce single-use plastics on flights,” said Pamela Fletcher, Delta’s chief sustainability officer. “No company or industry can reach waste reduction and net zero goals alone. This partnership is a great example of how working with the next generation of innovators can accelerate our progress.”

Students hear from Delta executives

Students hear from Delta executives at the Delta Design Challenge event on Dec. 1.

The SIFP is a signature program within UGA’s Innovation District and is sponsored by The Delta Air Lines Foundation. Under the Office of Experiential Learning, SIFP cultivates the industry leaders of tomorrow by establishing meaningful industry partnerships and inspiring innovation among all majors. Students within this program work throughout the semester to solve modern industry problems. The Delta Design Challenge is one of many active learning challenges that enables students to apply the skills they learn in the classroom to real-world scenarios.

“The Industry Fellows Program recruits top talent at UGA among all courses of study,” stated Andrew Potter, who leads SIFP. “This program is all about preparing students to make an impact by teaching human-centered design and empathetic leadership.”

At the core of this program is human-centered design, a design system that is grounded in empathy and intentional solutions. Developed out of the Stanford Design School, human-centered design puts real people at the center of the design process. Students are taught to understand all facets of an industry problem first and design the solution at the very last step. Representing nine schools and colleges across campus, the SIFP relies on interdisciplinary talent to establish thorough solutions and well-rounded teams, like those who competed in the Delta Design Challenge.

“We are not just looking for one type of student,” explained Potter. “It takes all expertises to solve the issues. Regardless of what students choose as their major, we know they will have valuable insight to offer businesses like Delta. We encourage all students to participate in Innovation District programs if they have a passion for problem-solving and teamwork.”

The Delta Design Challenge illustrated the expertise of Industry Fellows Students across campus. Creating a touchpoint between UGA and various industries, the SIFP is one way the university aims to prepare students to make an impact as alumni.

“It’s great to see companies like Delta taking steps to improve the issue of single-use plastic on flights,” stated Amol Gupta, a participating fourth-year UGA student who will join the Industry Fellows program this spring. “After brainstorming on the problem, we were able to find a solution that would best fit the needs of the company as well as the passengers. Getting to work on solutions for companies like Delta has made the work we do in the classroom much more tangible.”

Class of 2020 breaks Senior Signature record

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The UGA Class of 2020 set a record for Senior Signature gifts, with 2,977 graduating students participating in the program. Senior Signature is the university’s class gift program in which students donate $50 to UGA prior to graduation. This is the fourth consecutive year the graduating class has broken the previous year’s record.

The Class of 2020 beat the Class of 2019’s record by more than 400 participants. Their accomplishment is particularly impressive given the interruptions this class experienced during their final year on campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This achievement demonstrates the tenacity and generosity of UGA’s newest alumni.

“It’s amazing that we achieved 2,977 donors this year, especially having to do everything virtually,” said Autumn Pressley, president of the Student Alumni Council (SAC). “Kevin, the Senior Signature Chair on SAC, did an amazing job putting together a campaign and promoting it. His efforts were definitely the driving force that helped us exceed our goal.”

Senior Signature was established in 1991 with just several hundred donors in its first year. Since that time, more than 37,000 students have participated. Each year, graduating seniors are asked to “make their mark” on UGA by donating $50. Of that gift, $20 is directed to an endowed fun supporting student programming and the other portion can be designated to a specific school, college, department, program, or scholarship that the student wishes to support.

Join us in congratulating and thanking the Class of 2020 for this record-breaking effort. Ring the bell!

Elaine Cassandra with Student of the Year Plaque

Career Center honors 2019 Student Employee of Year

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Since Elaine Cassandra (BSA ’19) was in middle school, she knew she wanted to be a veterinarian, but her love for animals started long before that.

This past year, Cassandra was a senior studying animal health and working at the University of Georgia’s Small Animal Rehabilitation Service as a student worker. On April 10, she was thrilled to learn that she had been named the 2019 Student Employee of the Year during a luncheon hosted by the UGA Career Center. Her supervisor, Jodi Seidel, was pleased to nominate Cassandra for this honor.

Seidel, the Small Animal Rehabilitation supervisor, said Cassandra was “confident and proved early on that she was a fast learner. Being able to trust in Elaine’s abilities has taken some stress off my day-to-day routine and allowed us to treat even more patients.”

Cassandra has helped increase the number of patients seen to 12 in one day. Her most notable work, though, has been the transformational physical therapy that allows animals to reclaim their strength, agility and improve their overall quality of life.

Faculty and clients also shared stories in Seidel’s nomination letter, noting Cassandra’s ability to demonstrate compassion and patience even with the highest-needs patients (like a vizsla named Gunner who suffered from osteoarthritis in multiple joints and a neuropathy). Gunner’s owner, Cheryl, shared an example of Cassandra’s patience.

“On her first night of dog sitting, I came home to find Elaine on the kitchen floor next to Gunner’s dog bed (studying for a class, no less!),” she said. “That’s what it took to keep him calm and settled, and she didn’t think twice about having to do such.”

Cassandra said she was just doing what came naturally to her at work. She said working with the animals is the best feeling in the world.

Cassandra will continue to pursue a career caring for animals when she enrolls as a graduate student in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine this fall.

The University of Georgia employs more than 5,000 student employees. Each spring, the UGA Career Center celebrates those students’ contributions to labs, offices and programs across campus.

The Student Employee of the Year Awards Luncheon, co-sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs, brought together 100 of the top student employees, based on nominations by their supervisors.

Class of 2019 sets Senior Signature record

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For the third year in a row, UGA’s graduating class has set a Senior Signature giving record.

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2,540 graduating seniors collectively donated $127,000 to the university through this fundraising campaign spearheaded by the UGA Student Alumni Association. Each student donor’s name has been engraved on a plaque in Tate Plaza in honor of their commitment to UGA.

“I gave to the Senior Signature campaign because of those who have come before me and given, as well as for those who will come after me,” said Nash Davis, a member of the Class of 2019 and president of the Student Alumni Association. “Giving to UGA provides opportunities that I myself will never have the opportunity to gain anything from and I think that’s what makes giving so important.”

Senior Signature was established in 1991 with just several hundred donors in its first year. Since that time, over 35,000 students have donated more than $1.5 million to UGA through the program. Each year, graduating seniors are asked to “make their mark” on UGA by donating $50. Of that gift, $20 is directed to the Georga Fund and the other portion can be designated to a specific school, college, department, program, or scholarship that the donor wishes to support.

Join us in congratulating (and THANKING) the Class of 2019 for this record-breaking effort. RING THE BELL!

A Student’s Perspective on Thank a Donor Day 2019

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When it comes to Tate Plaza, students are used to passing some pretty strange things on their way to class. A camel, a cow or just a bunch of extracurricular flyers are not out of the ordinary at all on any day of the week. However, a Tate Plaza event so spectacular that it requires the presence of President Morehead, Miss University of Georgia, Hairy Dawg and hundreds of students only happens once a year. The eighth annual Thank a Donor Day 2019 was on April 11th, 2019, and the student body is better because of it.

Hairy Dawg and a student

Hairy Dawg took photos with students who attended TADD, including the author.

Thank a Donor Day, simply put, is a day where students and faculty members thank university donors for all they have contributed to the University of Georgia. All of our colleges, campus facilities, certificates and student programs are what they are because of the university’s generous donors. Thank a Donor Day is a celebration of those donors, while also being important for educating the student body about what goes on behind the scenes at a university.

A student signs a banner dedicated to thanking donors.

A student signs the banner thanking donors.

Thousands of students depend on and benefit from scholarships – those are thanks to donors. All of the state-of-the-art new facilities on campus, like the Terry expansion or the new Veterinary Medicine building, have been built thanks to donors. Programs like the Public Affairs Professional Certificate program at Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication have been founded thanks to the generosity of a donor. See? There’s a lot to be thankful for as a University of Georgia student, because at least several aspects of all our educations are made possible because of donors.

It’s important to take a day to give back, while still making that show of appreciation simple for a student on the go. More than 900 students expressed their gratitude through signing the community thank-you card, writing a note and decorating posters. It was easy to genuinely thank donors in a time-efficient manner. Plus, no student can resist the lure of a free t-shirt and a Chick-fil-A lemonade and cookie in exchange for their act of thanks.

A photo of the t-shirt table at TADD.

Students who completed all three of the tasks on their card received a free t-shirt, and a Chick-fil-A cookie and lemonade.

It was a beautiful day, filled with students smiling, saying thank you, and becoming made aware of all the ways others have contributed to making their time at the University of Georgia a worthwhile and excellent experience. While Thank a Donor Day is only once a year, hopefully it encourages students to remember every day to be grateful for all the things we are so lucky to have here.

Before and after Thank a Donor Day, Athens faced some pretty terrible weather. On the day of the event, the sun was shining and the conditions were perfect for an outdoor event. Maybe that’s a sign that we are better on days that we are thankful.

Check out our Instagram story here.

The First UGA Tradition: Freshman Welcome

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Before Calling the Dawgs during the first home football game of the season, ringing the Chapel Bell after acing a test, or taking photos at the Arch after graduation, each University of Georgia student steps barefoot ‘Between the Hedges’ and assembles into the iconic “G” for their official class photo during Freshman Welcome.

Freshman Welcome is an annual event hosted by the Student Alumni Council, Student Government Association and the Office of the President. This event provides the opportunity for first-year students to stand under the Sanford Stadium lights and be officially welcomed into the Bulldog family.

This year, Freshman Welcome occurred on Sunday, August 11, with a pre-party in Reed Plaza featuring a rock climbing wall, snow cones, a mechanical bulldog and upperclassman celebrating the arrival of the Class of 2022.

 

 

 

After much anticipation, UGA ’22 was welcomed into the stadium for the first time as University of Georgia students. Prior to stepping foot on the field, first-year students were greeted by Student Government Association President Ammishaddai Grand-Jean and Student Alumni Council President Nash Davis. Following, UGA President Jere Morehead (JD ’80) welcomed the students to the University. UGA ’22 also heard from head football coach, Kirby Smart (BBA ’98) and men’s basketball head coach, Tom Crean.

After learning the game day cheers and traditions, UGA ’22 took to the field for their official class photo. Following the photograph, students snapped photos on the field before going back to their residence halls to prep for their first day of college classes.

 

Welcome to the Bulldog family, Class of 2022! We’re so glad you’re here.

Posted by University of Georgia on Sunday, August 12, 2018

View our Twitter Moment  and our Instagram Story.

Make history at 1785 Day

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The Student Alumni Association (SAA) has issued a challenge to the entire campus–to get 1,785 student donors to give $17.85. This will all lead up to 1785 Day which will take place in Tate Plaza on August 16 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event will include free t-shirts, food and photos with Hairy Dawg for students who donate. 

The SAA is an association for UGA students to network and engage with alumni. The SAA is governed by the Student Alumni Council (SAC) who promotes UGA traditions, cultivates student philanthropy and connects students to alumni.  

This is the first event of its kind that the SAA is putting on and Nash Davis, the president of the SAC, could not be more excited to start the school year off with a strong campaign.  

“We want to celebrate the institution that we know and love and try to help everyone realize how lucky we are. We also want everyone to know how much SAA and SAC can impact a student’s experience,” Davis said. 

Davis joined the SAA his freshmen year after a search of how to be more involved on campus. Once he found out what the SAA does, he knew it was a place for him.  

“I stress the opportunities that our organization can give these students and how we truly enjoy setting them up for success, and we’ll do anything in our power to help them be successful,” Davis said.  

When students donate as a part of 1785 Day, they will automatically become a member of the SAA and will receive exclusive benefits such as professional development, spirit days, involvement opportunities and a free SAA t-shirt. The SAA hosts events throughout the school year such as Freshmen Welcome and ghost tours of North Campus. Members of the SAA also get exclusive opportunities to network with UGA alumni at events such as the monthly Advice from the Big Dawgs lunch and Dinner with a Dozen Dawgs.  

Usually membership dues are $20, but in honor of the event, every donation of $17.85 includes membership. Davis looks forward to 1785 Day because it means that more students will be members of the SAA early in the year so they can participate in the events all year long. 

Ja’Kyra Austin is the SAC’s Vice President of Membership, and she joined the SAA after she transferred to UGA.  

“A phrase we often hear in the council  is ‘planting a tree, even if we don’t get to enjoy its shade’ and it has been something we remind ourselves of not only when we donate but also when we are encouraging others to donate,” Austin said. “We shouldn’t wait to donate until after graduating, when our small gift could change a life or improve our campus today.” 

Austin is passionate about helping others students find what they are passionate about because she knows from personal experience the struggle of finding out what to do after college. She donates to the Career Center so that they can help other people find their way during college and afterwards.  

Student philanthropy helps to support need and merit-based scholarships, experiential learning opportunities and any other area of campus students designate when they make their gifts. Of the $17.85 students donate, $7.85 will go to the Georgia Fund to support the student experience at UGA and $10 can be designated to a school, college, department or program the student is passionate about.  

Join Davis and Austin in honoring UGA’s history by making history with the SAA at 1785 Day!

Catching up with Oxford scholar Mitra Kumareswaran

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UGA student Mitra Kumareswaran spent her junior year at Oxford University in England taking scenic bike routes between classes, enjoying the views of the parks and studying everything from genetics to Shakespeare at the university’s historic libraries. The biology and English double major is passionate about both science and the humanities, and hopes to combine them some day in order to better the lives of children with autism. As a recipient of the Alumni Association’s Oxford scholarship, by the time Mitra returned to UGA she had walked the same halls as Oscar Wilde and saw the blackboard that once displayed Einstein’s equations.

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“I majored in biology and English because I’m interested in neuroscience and learning development,” Kumareswaran said. “Since I am also passionate about arts, the idea of taking only science classes just wasn’t enough. I hope to use my knowledge in these different areas of study to open a school that works with autistic kids’ language development, regardless of their socioeconomic status.”

Kumareswaran knew early on that she wanted to study in Oxford, and the UGA at Oxford program immediately captured her attention during her college search. As an Oxford Scholar, she experienced an intimate classroom setting in courses with no more than three other students. The organizations she joined there let her brush shoulders with renowned scholars and hear researchers from around the world talk about new developments such as sheep cloning and DNA manipulation.

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In addition to the classroom experience, Kumareswaran says that studying at Oxford helped her to step outside her comfort zone and become a more analytical thinker.

“Through my experiences at UGA and Oxford, I understand the world much more than I ever thought I would,” she said. “I learned the importance of being passionate and going forward when something is scary because the worst someone can tell you is no.”

She thanks the Alumni Association scholarship she received for making her dreams of studying at Oxford a reality. She says that the scholarship made it possible for her to have the financial ability to study for two semesters at Oxford University, experience the centuries-old traditions there and make life-long friendships overseas.

“It feels great to know that donors and alumni at UGA support my education, not only in Athens, but also abroad,” Kumareswaran said.

This blog was written by Nellie Pavluscenco ’18, intern for DAR Communications.