PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (May 10, 2021) – In a compelling philanthropic first for Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), the Class of 2021 has initiated a Senior Class Gift program. Located on the university’s website at giving.pvamu.edu/CO21, the fundraising campaign benefits the Annual Fund, which earmarks unrestricted money for students to help with tuition, textbooks, technology purchases, food security and other emergency needs.
“The Class of 2021 has encountered some obstacles along our path to graduation,” noted Kyanna Norman, Senior Class President. “The pandemic impacted us in many unforeseeable ways. This new PVAMU tradition helps other students on their path to graduation.”
PVAMU seniors from left to right: Katherine Jackson, Kendol Pitts and Denver Burke.
Norman and classmates Denver Burke, Katherine Jackson, Erin Haven and Kendol Pitts are spearheading the Senior Class Gift effort, which will provide financial support to next year’s graduating seniors.
“I am grateful that our class will be a blessing to the Class of 2022,” said Norman. “Paying it forward is our legacy gift.”
LaShonda Williams ’97, Annual Fund director, said the Senior Class Gift program has even broader goals in the years ahead. “Our goal is to start to promote a culture of philanthropy,” she said, pointing to the campaign’s objective of 450 senior participants, rather than a set amount of dollars. “We’re encouraging the participation piece. Research shows that when people give consistently and consecutively, over time, they’re giving sizably. Doing so creates opportunities for them to become more engaged with the university and see returns on their investment, see some of the changes and see how we’re able to impact students. This ultimately may see them increase the size of their gifts. So, all gifts matter.”
Photo shows a Graduation Philanthropy Cord.
Suggested gift amounts listed on the campaign landing page are for that reason geared toward the first-time donor — $20.21 (commemorating the class year), $18.76 (commemorating the year that PVAMU was established) and $5.15 (commemorating this semester’s graduation date). Senior Class donors are recognized with an exclusive Graduation Philanthropy Cord, and their names are added to the donor roll. While the initiative is inclusive of spring, summer and fall graduates, the program has just been established and bears a quick-turnaround deadline of May 12.
The Office of Development is sending a mass e-mail to graduates, inviting them to participate, and the Student Government Association as well as the Office of Student Engagement are aiding the effort.
“Covid has made student engagement difficult,” Williams said, “and the campaign seeks to provide unrestricted funds, which is what has been so needed. With the pandemic, we received lots of requests for support to purchase computers when we transitioned from face-to-face to hybrid courses. The importance of the Annual Fund is that it offsets scholarships that are endowed with specific criteria, such as a recipient achieving a certain GPA or having a particular major. Whereas with the Annual Fund, we can help a student no matter what.”
Erin Haven poses by the PVAMU Panther.
Gregory Bowen, Student Government Vice President, received three different scholarships while at Prairie View, which he described as “a weight lifted off of my shoulders.” The scholarships allowed him to quit two part-time jobs to focus on academics. “It was a blessing to know that alumni and other successful individuals want to invest in my education. This motivated me to start a scholarship for minority males worldwide who want to attend an HBCU [Historically Black College/University],” Bowen said. “The Senior Class Gift tradition is very important to me because this is how we as a student body can help others make it through college. It allows the next generations not to have to worry as much and provides them comfort mentally.”
“The Class of 2021 is helping to change the philanthropic culture of Prairie View giving,” said Carme Williams, vice president for Development. “As classmates, they are selflessly supporting students before crossing the stage, sending a message of caring and empathy during a time it is needed most.”
To learn more and to donate, visit giving.pvamu.edu/CO21.
By Andrew Cohen
-PVAMU-