Transferring to UR after my sophomore year of college was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I can honestly say, without a doubt, that I am a different and better person than I was when I arrived here, and I owe that to the lessons that I learned in and outside of the classroom from UR and the UR community.
And though I believe that the time that I spent in Rochester is priceless, I’m sure my parents would have told you a different story as they mailed out one of my final tuition checks earlier this week.
Traditionally, the Senior Class Council has worked with the Alumni/Rochester Fund to make some sort of contribution to UR in the form of the senior class gift. This year’s senior class is raising funds for a four year scholarship.
For every $5,000 the senior class raises, the Rochester Fund will contribute an additional $15,000. Additionally, Dean of Financial Aid and Admissions Jon Burdick has pledged to donate $5,000 of his own money to the scholarship fund if the senior class raises $5,000. Ultimately, this will be a four year, $10,000 scholarship.
Because of the scholarship’s untraditional nature, it has received mixed reactions from the senior class. Many students are in favor of the scholarship, but still many are skeptical.
For the skeptics, yes, this Senior Class Council decided on the gift over the summer. In order for a scholarship to work, more planning was involved than would have been necessary for traditional gift.
To counter the lack of class input for the gift’s concept, the senior class will be able to choose the scholarship recipient’s criteria and ultimately the recipient itself through voting that has been conducted online and at senior class events.
For this gift to be a success it is essential that we all unite and donate what money we can.
Seniors should donate money to this gift. Unlike a bench or a sidewalk, a scholarship is a living gift. Providing someone with an education is a gift that benefits us all.
The recipient of this scholarship could go on to cure disease, create a literary masterpiece, or even something as simple as earning a college degree, so that he can get a job and provide for a better life for himself and his family.
A scholarship is a testament to our satisfaction with the education we have received at UR. It may be impossible to duplicate each of our individual experiences at this university, but providing a scholarship is the best way we can ensure that someone gets to enjoy an equally wonderful experience that they may not have been able to otherwise.
Please donate to the senior gift by visiting the senior class website at http://www.sa.rochester.edu/2005/.
Gorode can be reached at kgorode@campustimes.org.
