The nature of giving and value of an Illinois Wesleyan education was celebrated at the university's Scholarship Benefactor Dinner on Thursday, Sept. 22 to kick off homecoming weekend.
Traveling from as far as Arizona and Virginia, 235 alumni and friends of IWU attended as benefactors and connected with the students who have been touched by their generosity through scholarships and support. In the last two years, 54 new scholarships were created and 358 named scholarships were awarded, up from last year’s 334.
Vice President for Advancement Steve Seibring welcomed the dinner guests and acknowledged that while the event has not occurred in-person since 2019, nothing has stopped benefactors from giving to support IWU Titans.
“They continued to invest in you, the students, even though they couldn’t meet you. That’s a special kind of commitment,” said Seibring. “They’ve invested in you not because of who you are, but because of who you will become. They believe in you and the way you will one day change the world in ways still unimaginable. That happens here at Illinois Wesleyan.”
During the event, the benefactors of new scholarships were recognized and scholarship recipients shared testimony, including Clay Anderson '23, a finance major who is president of the Investment Banking Scholars Club.
Anderson expressed his gratitude for benefactors who have funded many of the resources and facilities on campus, such as The Greg Yess '82 Bloomberg Finance Lab, where Anderson studied during a recent portfolio management course.
Through his involvement in student organizations and internships, Anderson was able to make more connections with “successful, extraordinary alumni,” ultimately leading to a job offer with J.P Morgan in Los Angeles.
“Your impact on our lives is undeniable,” he said to the room of donors. “Because of your actions, students can compete at the highest level, have cutting-edge technology and be able to enjoy this beautiful university. I hope as I begin my post-graduate career, I’m able to give back in the same way all of you have to impact future students’ lives.”
President Georgia Nugent spoke to her own experience as a first-generation student attending college through a full scholarship. She described the gathering as a way to “see the IWU family in action as one generation passes on to another the transformative power of higher education.”
“Here, you can deepen your understanding of political science or the Spanish language as well as prepare for a career in nursing or business or theatre. Here, you can develop skills as a pianist while also following your passion to be an entrepreneur,” said Nugent. “The benefactors who have graduated from Illinois Wesleyan or have become friends of IWU are really professing their love of this university with its uniquely valuable marriage of liberal arts and professional studies and their appreciation of its value.”
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