ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ’s student alumni association, the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors, are on a winning streak—for the group and for ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ students facing food insecurity.
In conjunction with ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ’s Giving Tuesday/Month of Giving initiative, ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors donated $800 from the group’s Homecoming parade first-place float prize to the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Food Pantry and Help Center.
From left: ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassador Katherine Lagunas Sanchez, a sophomore ecology, conservation, and evolutionary biology major from Kennett Square; ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Executive Director of Student Inclusion Roger Briscoe Jr., ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Division of Student Affairs; ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Dean of Students Adam Jones, ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Division of Student Affairs; ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassador Evan Williams, a sophomore exercise science major from McMurray.
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ opened the Food Pantry in 2019; it expanded to the current Food Pantry and Help Center in 2021 and offers food items, toiletries, and school supplies for students. Alumni, friends, and students, including a number of student groups, continue to support the Food Pantry and Help Center with both monetary donations and supplies.
The Food Pantry and Help Center is located in and is coordinated by the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. More than 7,800 students have received support from the Food Pantry and Help Center since its opening.
The , founded by the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Alumni Association Board of Directors, celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in fall 2023. The group won first prize in the Homecoming parade float contest in 2023 and began the tradition of donating its prize winnings to the Food Pantry and Help Center.
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors is a link between prospective students, current students, administrators, faculty members, alumni, and friends of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ. It works to engage alumni and current students with campus life and makes students more aware of their potential roles as alumni and focuses on the importance of “giving back” to ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.
The group provides service to the university at a number of events throughout the year. Throughout the organization’s history, it has raised more than $150,000 for the university through a number of fundraisers, providing support to the construction of the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex and Jane E. Leonard Hall, and to the Allegheny Arboretum and the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Libraries.
The group also established the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors Endowed Scholarship and has raised funds for book scholarships for students. Its Tuition Raffle program fundraiser resulted in more than 20 semesters of free tuition to students and more than $5,000 in book scholarships.
In addition to providing support for university events and its success with fundraising, the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors have made calls to more than 20,000 prospective students and led hundreds of tours for incoming freshmen in collaboration with the Office of Admissions. The group has also been active in donor appreciation events and has organized “Conversations with Alumni Speaker Series,” which invites successful alumni back to campus to speak to classes and student groups.
The Ambassadors cosponsor the Young Alumni Achievement Awards program with the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Alumni Association, to recognize one graduate from each academic college who has had great success in their career within 15 years of receiving their degree from ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ. This event brings recognition to ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ, and also provides networking opportunities for the Ambassadors and other current students. The organization has received more than 30 awards for excellence from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, including a number of international awards.
Students must apply for membership and go through an interview process to be selected for the group, which includes 33 members.
“Our ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors are not just leaders; they are also dedicated to making a positive impact on our campus,” Kamden Boyle, a graduate assistant in the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Office of Alumni and Friends and graduate student advisor to the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors, said. Boyle, a May 2024 graduate of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ from Ligonier, is in the master’s program in public affairs at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ.
“By donating these funds, they have chosen to support the incredible work that the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Food Pantry does in serving our students in need. This is just one of the many ways our ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors are giving back to those around them. We are proud of their commitment to service, and we hope this donation will help continue the Food Pantry’s important mission,” Boyle said.
“Part of the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors’ mission is to demonstrate the positive impact of philanthropic support at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ,” ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Associate Director of Young Alumni and Student Engagement Karen Cramer said. “This gift not only emphasizes their commitment to that goal, but also helps to promote the needs of our students to encourage others to give as well.”
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Ambassadors made the donation in conjunction with ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ’s Giving Tuesday/Month of Giving initiative. The Food Pantry and Help Center was one of the highlighted projects for the program, and donors gifted $3,230 for the project this year. Since ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ began its Giving Tuesday program in 2017, more than $225,000 has been donated by students, employees, alumni, and friends to support ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ during the university’s Giving Tuesday initiative.