Dear Ferrum Family, It is difficult to look back on this past year without mentioning the impact COVID-19 has had across the globe, including here at Ferrum College. From Zoom meetings to face masks, COVID-19 has altered how we live, work, and play in a way that seemed unimaginable a year ago. But it hasn’t all been bad. This pandemic has jolted us from our normal routines, reset our perspective on what is important, and created a sense of solidarity among all of us who care deeply about the future of our College. This was especially evident last March, shortly after we transitioned to virtual learning for the remainder of the spring semester. At the time, I did not know what the overall impact would be, but I knew it was going to be substantial both for the College and our students. So, I recorded a video asking you for help. And the response was overwhelming. As you’ll see, the College saw a 33% increase in giving to the Ferrum Fund and a 40% increase in athletics giving compared to the previous year, while significantly growing our number of donors. We also raised over $300,000 in scholarships, introduced new giving societies, held our first virtual alumni events, produced multiple marketing videos, and designed a website specifically dedicated to the College’s COVID-19 response - www.ferrum.edu/stronger-together. And last, but certainly not least, we produced this 2020 Annual Report to highlight the College’s achievements in this unprecedented year. These achievements are a testament to the hard work of the Institutional Advancement team and to the variety of ways that each of you support Ferrum College and our efforts to build a bright and prosperous future for our students. I hope you are as proud as I am in what we, together, were able to achieve. With Panther Pride,
Wilson Paine ’07 Vice President for Institutional Advancement
“I hope you are as proud as I am in what we, together, were able to achieve.” –Wilson Paine ’07 18
