Impact Report 2015

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2014–2015

Dear Friends of Christendom, Pax Christi! I pray that all is well with you.

I am enclosing our 2014-2015 Impact Report detailing how your donations are changing lives and inspiring our students and recent alumni to be great.

Thank you for your continued support of our educational apostolate at Christendom College.

Sincerely in the Heart of Christ,

Timothy T. O’Donnell, STD, KGCHS

Financial Snapshot

#1 t c a Imp

2014 – 2015 Revenue*

Your Support is an Essential Part of Educating 469 Students Private Gifts and Grants

Other

$141,201 1%

$4,565,561 24%

Room and Board

Tuition and Fees

$3,465,672

$11,044,329 57%

18%

*Audited financial numbers based upon generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).

2014 – 2015 Functional Expenses Your Dollars at Work!

Programs

(Instruction, Academic Support, Student Services/ Financial Aid, and Auxiliary Enterprises)

$14,650,554 83%

Management & General

$1,525,894 9%

Campaign/ Advancement*/ Alumni Relations

$1,450,238 8% *Campaign and advancement efforts in 2014-15 obtained $11.74 million dollars in commitments for the College.

Daring to Transform Culture

Imp act #

“As a Catholic journalist, I can say with confidence that I rely upon my Christendom education daily in my work, striving to write stories that can give the reader a wellrounded and thoughtful presentation of what is going on in the world.”

– Peter Jesserer Smith (’09), award winning staff reporter, National Catholic Register Alumnus Peter Jesserer Smith earned his B.A. in philosophy, and was co-founder and editor-in-chief of Christendom’s student journal The Rambler, as well as a founding officer of the Chester-Belloc Debate Society, prior to graduating in 2009. While still a student at Christendom, Peter worked part-time as a reporter for LifeSiteNews. In 2011, Peter received a journalism internship and freelanced until becoming a staff reporter for the National Catholic Register in July 2013. In 2014, Peter traveled to Israel and the West Bank, and helped the Register cover Pope Francis’s historic visit to Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Peter was one of four Catholic journalists selected to be part of the 2014 Catholic Relief Services’ Egan Fellowship program. He won third-place honors at the 2015 Catholic Press Association (CPA) Awards dinner for his coverage of the Syrian and Iraqi refugee crisis.

“I realized that something was deeply wrong in journalism,” stated Peter. “So I set myself a task of finding ‘good news’ stories that reporters were not paying attention to. When it came to writing the ‘bad news’ stories, I aimed to find within them that element of hope that God has planted there. As I learned repeatedly at Christendom, God may allow evil in the world, but ultimately he brings even more good out of it.”

Christendom Alumni Impacting Culture ALUMNI are involved in just about EVERY OCCUPATIONAL FIELD including: ARCHITECTURE/ CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMMUNICATIONS/MEDIA COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION/ACADEMIA ENGINEERING

FINANCIAL/ACCOUNTING FINE ARTS HEALTHCARE HUMAN RESOURCES JOURNALISM/WRITING/ PUBLISHING LAW/LAW ENFORCEMENT

MARKETING/SALES MILITARY POLITICS/GOVERNMENT PUBLIC POLICY/THINK TANKS RELIGIOUS SERVICES SCIENCE/RESEARCH

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Daring to Answer the Call “I do know that God led me to Christendom, and while I was there, He gave me the best preparation I could receive for whatever He calls me to do in the long run in service of God’s Church on earth.”

– Newly invested Norbertine seminarian Brother Silvan, formerly Michael Kopp (’15)

Michael Kopp is the oldest of three children in a single income, home-schooled family from Johnstown, PA. At age 17, Michael felt called to the priesthood but was advised to complete at least two years of college before joining. For financial reasons, Michael planned to attend a local community college, but his heart was set on Christendom. Thanks to generous scholarships and financial aid, Michael attended Christendom and excelled academically. In addition, he poured himself into a variety of campus activities including altar serving, sports, and mission trips.

“I would like to extend to you, the benefactors of Christendom College, the immense gratitude that I feel in my heart. Rest assured,” continued Michael, “that I will keep you in my prayers for the rest of my life, in thanksgiving for the wonderful gift you have given to me.” Michael received the Student Activities Council Joe McGlynn Award for service to the College and gave the Valedictory address at the 2015 graduation. Michael is now discerning his vocation at the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey. Thanks to Christendom’s rich campus life, Michael was uniquely nourished and formed over four years and is well prepared to test his call to religious life.

Christendom Vocations 75 PRIESTS

25 SEMINARIANS IN FORMATION

3 DEACONS

50 SISTERS

4 BROTHERS

Imp act # Daring to Embrace the Call to Mercy “Christendom equips you to embark on a mission of spreading the love and kindness of Christ and to be a true missionary of the new evangelization.”

– Mike McMahon (’17), Costa Rican Missionary

Instead of a relaxed week on the beach with friends over spring break, Christendom student Mike McMahon, chose to participate in Christendom’s Costa Rican mission trip. Leaving the United States for the first time on his first mission trip with the College, this 21 year old sophomore wanted to go and help people less fortunate than himself. However, as he quickly found out, the mission trip experience was just as much a benefit for him as it was to those who were served. This was especially the case with regard to the children he met there. “The children weren’t looking for new clothes or food or money,” stated Mike. “They just wanted to be with us.”

The joy, comfort, and happiness Mike and his fellow missionaries were able to give and to share with the Costa Rican people was the greatest reward of all. Thanks to his Christendom formation, his theology empowered him to evangelize and catechize; his philosophy enabled him to understand the worth and meaning of life even in impoverished conditions; and his political science helped him to understand some of the problems and causes for the poverty. “Christendom offered me an extremely unique mission trip experience. I would say it is true mission work where you can directly apply what you learned in class to your experience.”

Christendom’s New Evangelization

30%

800 STUDENTS 30 FACULTY

MISSIONS:

ON-GOING:

OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN MISSION TRIPS NICARAGUA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, PERU, COSTA RICE, GUATEMALA

PARTICIPATED IN MISSION TRIPS SINCE 1999

STUDENTS WORK WITH NURSING HOMES, PREGNANCY CENTERS, & SOUP KITCHENS

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Daring Students to Excel “The idea of ‘trail blazing’ a new position at Christendom was very exciting and appealing.

I saw this job as an opportunity to give back to Christendom, as I am eternally grateful for the education and formation that I have received here.”

– Maribeth Kelly (’14), Academic Success Coach

Maribeth Kelly, a philosophy major of Christendom’s Class of 2014, graduated salutatorian of her class and currently is working in her second year as Academic Success Coach at Christendom College while pursuing her Masters in Theology at Christendom’s Graduate School.

Every day, Maribeth meets one-on-one with students, discussing different study habits and organizational skills, as well as note-taking and time-management tips.

Maribeth helps students learn their individual strengths and weaknesses and form a personalized study plan for the semester. In addition to this, she is constantly promoting the academic resources on campus, which include private tutoring, the Mentor Program, the Writing Center, study sessions, and most importantly, office hours with professors. In this way, Maribeth serves as a facilitator, connecting students with the academic resources they need in order to be successful in their academic pursuits.

First Class Faculty & Academic Support Staff

30–35

ONE-ON-ONE ACADEMIC SUCCESS COACHING MEETINGS WITH STUDENTS EACH WEEK

0%

CLASSES TAUGHT BY TEACHING ASSISTANTS

20+ UPPER CLASS MENTORS PROVIDING ONGOING ACADEMIC MENTORSHIP TO STUDENTS

Daring to Pursue Greatness

Imp act #

“Christendom has given me so much and I truly appreciate the financial assistance that benefactors have made possible. It has enabled me to remain at Christendom and to further my education and deepen my faith.”

– Rob McKay (’16), Scholarship Recipient and Student Leader

As one of Christendom’s international students, Rob McKay grew up in Welwyn Garden City, about 20 miles north of London, England. He attended boarding schools in France and in Oxford, England, including “The Oratory,” a school founded by Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman. After high school, Rob considered colleges in both England and the United States. Sacrificing both family and friends, Rob chose to come to the United States to attend Christendom College because he was attracted to its well-rounded liberal arts approach and its interCollegiate sports program.

“I believe that the education and formation that I have received at Christendom has prepared me for most any career. It has taught me how to talk to and relate to people from different walks of life. It has also taught me to think for myself.” As the Senior Class president, Rob has excelled in hosting the Christmas Formal and raising funds from his class to support the College. Having achieved the Dean’s list consistently since his arrival on campus, Rob is on target to graduate Summa Cum Laude in May 2016 where he plans to pursue a career in the business world.

Scholarships for 2014-2015

$3,744,043

SCHOLARSHIPS & NEED-BASED GRANTS AWARDED TO DESERVING STUDENTS

75%

STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE NEED-BASED OR MERIT-BASED FINANCIAL AID

STUDENTS

COME FROM 45 STATES AND 5 FOREIGN COUNTRIES

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The Standard for Catholic Liberal Arts Christendom College Boasts Four Campuses • Front Royal, VA

• Alexandria, VA

• Rome, Italy

• Donegal, Ireland

Core Greatness • 6 Courses in Theology • 6 Courses in Philosophy

• 4 Courses in Literature • 4 Courses in History

• 4 Courses in Languages • 2 Courses in Math/Science

• 2 Courses in Political Science

Majors • Classical & Early Christian Studies • English Language & Literature

• History • Mathematics • Philosophy

• Political Science & Economics • Theology

Minors • Economics

• Liturgical Music

• Physics

Academic Enrichment Programs • Teacher Formation Practicum

• Politics Practicum

A Fully Integrated Life Each year, there are over 100 student run events—from music festivals to dances, variety shows to debates.

Athletics Varsity Sports

• Basketball • Cross Country • Rugby

• Soccer • Softball • Volleyball

Intramural Sports

• Basketball • Dodgeball • Racquetball • Handball

• Soccer • Ultimate Frisbee • Volleyball • Wiffle Ball