Kaicie Boeglin
Editor-in-Chief
Attention Rhode Island College class of 2022, now is our time to give to those following in our footsteps.
The Senior Class Gift is a student's opportunity to do good by the lower classmen following the golden path to graduation. The funds raised from this year's Senior Class Gift will be directed towards the college's Emergency Response Fund.
The Emergency Response fund is financial relief managed by the RIC Foundation in partnership with the Division of Student Success. The fund addresses immediate needs as it may pertain to a student's housing/food insecurity, technology and general basic needs. Eligibility is determined through the Crisis Response Team.
Being a student either full or part time, on top of having a life, being in a family, working and attempting to have a social life, all while making it to graduation is a monumental accomplishment. Between budget cuts and raising tuition, combined with the current economic inflation, future students have never needed help more. Whether the funds distributed by the Emergency Fund go to a student's tuition, books, rent, car payment, insurance, groceries or child care it is guaranteed that students who apply receive help. This is given the funds are available, which means the more people that donate, the more people that are able to be helped.
Last year's fundraiser had 125 donors and this year it is sought to beat that number and seek at least 150. This fund was created by the Rhode Island College Foundation to help the most vulnerable students within the RIC community as they continue to weather not only the COVID-19 crisis, but also the general insecurities bundled in a college life. The contact for The Senior Class Gift, Rachel Greenleaf, leaves students in the class of 2022 with, "this is our chance to do our part."
Anyone looking to connect with Rachel Greenleaf to advocate for The Student Class Gift can do so through email at rgreenleaf@ric.edu.
Graduating seniors who donate a gift of $10 will receive a philanthropy cord to wear at commencement. The philanthropy cords will be available upon the event of GradFest in April. Students who wish to receive a philanthropy cord need to commemorate their accomplishment by adding their name to their donation.