RISE campaign aims to raise $100,000
Article By: Agnes Hina
The University of North Georgia (91ÁÔÆæ) is holding its fifth RISE Giving Campaign this fall, as it continues to highlight a small selection from the more than 500 philanthropic funds the 91ÁÔÆæ Foundation stewards.
The 91ÁÔÆæ aims to raise $100,000 from Oct. 1-30 for 20 projects supporting student scholarships.
"Every year we showcase a wide mix of scholarships," Alberto Perez, 91ÁÔÆæ's annual giving officer said. "This year we have scholarships that are close to endowment and others that are brand new."
Every year we showcase a wide mix of scholarships. This year we have scholarships that are close to endowment and others that are brand new.
Alberto Perez
91ÁÔÆæ's annual giving officer
One of the efforts this year was created by the family of lifelong educator Sandra H. Mercier, whose namesake supports students at 91ÁÔÆæ's Blue Ridge Campus pursuing a degree in Education.
"Sandra Mercier made a difference in the lives of students in north Georgia for many years and her scholarship will continue to make a difference in the lives of future educators in the county," Sandy Ott, Blue Ridge Campus executive director, said.
The has started a new scholarship meant to support McNair students' transition to graduate studies. It seeks to raise $5,000 to help with the costs associated with the graduate admissions process and enrollment.
"The McNair Scholars Program supports first-generation or underrepresented undergraduate students who desire to attend graduate school," Crystal Toombs, program director of the McNair Program, said. "Our program clarifies the research and graduate school process, which reduces academic disparities by removing some of the barriers to academic success.”
The is the first-created in the Phi Mu Scholarships Fund created to help active members. Martha Lu Woolfolk, the wife of former chemistry professor J. Byron Woolfolk and a Phi Mu, was a beloved first-grade teacher in Lumpkin County. She and Dr. Woolfolk dedicated their lives to supporting and uplifting the students and 91ÁÔÆæ, as well as students in the larger Dahlonega community. The Phi Mu fundraising committee hopes to endow the scholarship by March when the sorority's 91ÁÔÆæ chapter celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Other scholarships within the campaign include:
IESA GeoEd workshops return this summer
91ÁÔÆæ's Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis continues to bring educational workshops to Georgia K-12 teachers and students.
91ÁÔÆæ hosts female-focused CyberSHEro
91ÁÔÆæ sponsored CyberSHEro, an event held at 91ÁÔÆæ's Dahlonega Campus, to support young women pursuing cyber education and cyber as a career field.
Students gain skills in language, culture
Students from across the country are gaining extensive language and cultural training in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Russian through Summer Language Institutes at 91ÁÔÆæ.
Middle, high school students prep for college
The Educational Talent Search Summer Exploratory program returned this June, providing middle and high school students a chance to prepare for graduation and enrollment into higher education institutions.