Dear Whitman Alumni: March Message from Cindie Adams

What is it that bonds Syracuse alumni to their alma mater like no other place? As Whitman alumnus Will Cass ‘08 shares in this month’s Orange Family Legacy feature, it has a bit to do with the unifying experience of cheering for Syracuse sports but a lot to do with everything else: “SU has done so much for my family beyond just providing sports memories. It’s helped shape our lives professionally and personally.”

Whatever it is that ties you to Syracuse—that makes you feel proud and nostalgic and lucky to have spent time on the Hill…those are your reasons to continue supporting your alma mater.

The 2016 seniors are beginning to consider what ties them to SU. They are coming to the same intersection that you once crossed. Soon, for them, the verb in “where I go to college” will become past tense. They are making donations to the Class Act 2016 senior giving campaign based on the value they place on the experience they’ve had. As alumni, you know that this year’s graduates won’t fully realize how much their time at Syracuse meant and the connections it will give them until some time after they’ve left the place they called home for four years (or so).

Last year, Whitman’s graduating class surpassed all years of Class Act giving before them. With a 44 percent participation rate, they took the top spot among all schools and colleges on campus.

Class Act donations help provide students with cutting-edge programs, modern facilities, scholarships (75 percent of SU students receive some sort of financial assistance) and other advantages necessary for a first-class education. Tuition and fees cover only 85 percent of the real cost of an SU degree. Class Act gifts help bridge the gap.

Thanks to Whitman alumnus Daniel A. D’Aniello ’68, chairman and co-founder of The Carlyle Group, who matched the total giving by Whitman seniors last year—as well as other alumni, staff and faculty who matched individual senior gifts—Whitman’s 2015 Class Act giving tallied $10,000. Much of that money has been utilized to support technology upgrades and student participation in experiential learning trips and programming. Mr. D’Aniello has generously offered to match this year’s Class Act donations by Whitman seniors.

The 2016 class, led by a committee of 20 committed and accomplished students, is seeking to increase participation by 7 percent and to retain the top spot on the campus-wide leader board.

As we did last year, we are asking you, the loyal alumni of Whitman, to match a senior by donating $20.16 to the Class Act 2016 campaign. Those of you who graduated in 2015 or even in the past couple of years can probably recall someone in this year’s class whom you’d like to honor with a match. For those who walked the commencement stage a little longer ago, perhaps you have a family member or neighbor you’d like to match.

You can conveniently make your donation online, and if you would like to honor a particular senior with your contribution, simply add his/her name in the “My Gift Is a Tribute” section. There are many ways to designate your gift.

If you don’t have a connection to a particular senior but you’d like to give in the Class Act spirit, please contact me at csadams@syr.edu. I’ll be happy to identify a senior for you to match…maybe someone from your home state, of your same major, or who is a member of ENACTUS, APICS or another student organization you hold dear.

You don’t have to match a student or donate the suggested $20.16 to participate in this year’s Class Act campaign. We welcome and appreciate all donations of any amount. Maybe you’d like to commemorate your own graduation year with a gift…$20.00 if you are a 2000 graduate, for example.

With the collective giving of this year’s seniors combined with Mr. D’Aniello’s support, once again, and that of other alumni like you, we can significantly enhance the educational experience for today’s Whitman students and for those who will walk the halls in the future.

Best,

Cindie Adams, Executive Director of Alumni and Corporate Relations

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Cindie Adams

Cindie Adams is the executive director of alumni and corporate relations at the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. She has extensive expertise in academic program development, career advising, managing boards and teams, and higher-education admissions. She has also worked in global marketing for a consumer products company and in export sales. Adams holds a B.A. in economics, political science, German and international relations as well as an MBA and an M.S. in counseling psychology, all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With her husband, Jim, she enjoys spending time with their four twenty-something children, traveling the world, and taking on any fitness and adventurous challenge.