Current Berea students are coming together to pay forward the gift of education through their own philanthropic efforts. Berea Patrons is a gift club that recognizes students who support the work of Berea College through one-time gifts or through each Labor Program paycheck.
“I am excited to work with this student led group. They are inspiring to student and broader Berea community. Our main goal is to educate students about Berea’s funding while providing opportunities for them to show gratitude and give back to the place that has given them so many opportunities” said Candis Arthur,’11, the group’s sponsor.
Arthur, who works at the college as the annual giving coordinator, noted the Berea Patrons student leadership team has worked hard to provide various opportunities for students to thank donors as well as make gifts of their own. They hosted a booth at Mountain Day where students took photos expressing why they love Berea and wrote thank you cards to Berea’s supporters. During the spring semester, they organized a residence hall giving competition and provided informative displays about Berea’s funding at events like Labor Day and GradFest.
Many students in the club noted that giving back to the college was about more than just money, “It’s my obligation to believe in other future Bereans, just as someone believed in me,” said Holden Dillman ’17. Joshua Mannix, ’15, emphasized that giving back helps build a better future: “The reason I give to Berea is because Berea has given me an opportunity that no other college can give me and because the future of Berea counts on giving. I want to see future students who cannot afford higher education have the opportunity to attend Berea College.”
Currently 138 student donors give anywhere between $1 and $50 per labor check. Students have already contributed $2,491 to the Berea Fund this year and have inspired matching gifts from alumni, trustees, and campus leaders.
You can visit the Berea Patrons’ website at www.berea.edu/student-giving.
