Senior Toast honors philanthropy of soon-to-be graduates
Western Carolina University student donors raise their glasses at the spring Senior Toast, held annually to recognize the philanthropic gifts of the soon-to-be graduates
By Bill Studenc
Western Carolina University Chancellor Kelli R. Brown recently saluted more than 50 WCU seniors who have gotten an early start on building a legacy of philanthropy by making financial gifts to the university before they have received their diplomas.
Recognized at the annual Senior Toast on Thursday, April 24, the seniors are among the nearly 425 student members of WCU’s 1889 Club, a giving society acknowledging donors from across the generations for their contributions to the institution. That total includes 185 new student donors who joined the 1889 Club this fiscal year.
The 1889 Club includes those who make annual gifts to the Fund for WCU in amounts ranging from $18.89 for current students and graduates from the past five years and $188.90 for alumni who graduated between 2015 and 2019 to $1,889 for alumni who graduated more than 10 years ago. It is named in recognition of the year of WCU’s founding.
“Your philanthropic gifts to WCU are truly inspiring. By choosing to give back to your alma mater before you even graduate, you are setting an example for future generations of Catamounts to follow. You are showing that you care deeply about your university and its mission and that you want to make a difference in the lives of future students, much like someone made a difference in yours,” Brown told the student donors.
“But your impact doesn’t stop there. The goodwill your gifts generate is just as important as the contributions themselves,” she said. “When you give to WCU, you are showing your support for the entire Catamount community. You are helping build a stronger, more vibrant campus where students can thrive and succeed. And that’s where engagement comes in. Giving back to WCU is just one way to stay engaged with your alma mater.”
Brown urged the seniors to stay connected to the university in any way they can, including through attendance at alumni events, mentoring current students or volunteering.
“There are countless ways to give back to the institution that gave so much to you,” she said. “As you leave here tonight, I hope you will remember the importance of engagement. Your commitment to WCU doesn’t end with graduation; it’s a lifelong relationship that will continue to grow and evolve over time. Always remember that you are Catamounts, and that you have the power to make a difference in the lives of others.”
Brown then made a toast to the class of 2025, followed by the singing of the “Western Carolina University Alma Mater” led by James Hogan, a 2003 WCU graduate and assistant vice chancellor for engagement.
Ezri Villiard, a 2022 graduate of WCU with a bachelor’s degree in psychology who is on track to receive her master’s degree in clinical psychology from WCU next month, spoke from the perspective of a student donor.
“Looking back at my six years here at Western, I think I’ve donated maybe around $80 total. While that may sound like a lot, that’s only $13 a year,” said Villiard, who will go on to begin working on her doctoral degree in psychology at WCU in the fall.
If all of WCU’s approximately 12,000 students did as she did and donated $13 annually to the university, that would generate about $156,000 a year, she said.
“Now, if only half of those students donated $13 a year, that’s still $78,000 a year. That amount alone would pay for 156 students to receive in-state tuition. It is numbers like these that are the reason that WCU focuses on the number of donors and not the donor dollar amount,” Villiard said.”
“Yeah, sure, $13 a year really isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things, but when multiple students donate $13 a year, just look at what it can accomplish. And that’s what philanthropy is all about – doing what little things you can to make a big difference in the world and the people in it.”
Tenisea Higgins, WCU’s assistant director of alumni engagement, welcomed the student donors to the Senior Toast, which was held at the Chancellor’s Residence.
The students’ contributions come as part of WCU’s “Fill the Western Sky” comprehensive fundraising campaign, an effort to raise a minimum of $100 million for the university’s academic, student engagement and athletics programs. For more information or to make a contribution to the campaign, visit WesternSky.wcu.edu, call 828-227-7124 or email advancement@wcu.edu.
