THE SEAHORSE | 34
ALUMNI GIVING SHAPES LIVES The culture of giving is alive and well at the University of Newcastle Foundation, where the generosity of alumni is making a huge difference to the lives of many students. The gift of education comes in all shapes and sizes and one of the University’s most passionate groups of supporters has always been our alumni. In the decade since the University of Newcastle Foundation was established in the late 1990s, more than $30 million dollars was given through donations and bequests to support scholarships, prizes, academic positions and research. In 2010, more than $4 million was given – twice the amount of the year before, while in 2011, the University benefitted in more than $5 million in gifts. Our alumni have always recognised the importance of investing in education and its role as the ultimate vehicle for the progress of a region, if not the world. Additionally, our alumni are also very aware of the importance that giving plays in helping their alma mater maintain its world standing – currently placed in the top 4% of universities in the world by the Academic Ranking of World Universities – and, in turn, the currency of their degrees. In fact, alumni make up almost 70 per cent of those who donate to our Annual Appeal for scholarships to support disadvantaged students. It is speaks of the warmth alumni feel towards this University that people give so generously to uphold and nurture their connections in such a meaningful way.
In 2012 the Foundation’s Annual Appeal supported our Shaping Futures Scholarships – scholarships for academically gifted students facing disadvantage. This year almost $50,000 has been raised to help students who may otherwise have been unable to attend university. One alum who gave to this year’s Annual Appeal is Dr Keryl Kavanagh, from the University’s English Language and Foundation Studies Centre. “I have seen first-hand the challenges so many of our students face,” she said. “Giving to a student scholarship is just a small, tangible way to help. I see it over and over again – the student who receives a scholarship today overcomes their hurdles and makes an impact on those around them tomorrow. “My small gifts can establish a chain of support that extends beyond my lifetime.” Then there is the group of Singaporean alumni who, in keeping with the Chinese proverb, have not forgotten the “stream from which they drank” and have established their own scholarship for academically gifted students facing hardship. Supporting scholarships is a fruitful way to enrich the lives of students and can be done by giving to existing programs or by establishing new ones in areas donors are passionate about. A gift to the Foundation comes from the heart, and every donor can shape their gift to ensure it is personally meaningful – whether it is through a scholarship, a research donation, the establishment of a Professorial position, the giving of something personal or a lasting legacy in a will.
Alumni donor Dr Keryl Kavanagh, pictured here with Shaping Future Scholarship recipients, believes that small gifts can establish a chain of support that extends beyond our lifetime
Farewell to Louise O’Connell After three years as University of Newcastle Foundation CEO, Louise O’Connell recently moved on from her role. “Thank you to everyone I have had the honour of dealing with over the past three years for thinking globally and acting locally,” Louise said.