Reflections on the Senior By Nathan Weinert ’08 For the fourth consecutive year, a committee of students organized a campaign to educate seniors about the college’s finances and encourage a pledge to give back financially to William Jewell as alumni. The campaign is named the “Senior Promise” to reflect the commitment graduating seniors are making to provide an annual gift to the college. The following article was originally published in the February29, 2008 edition of The Hilltop Monitor campus newspaper at the conclusion of the Senior Promise campaign. Trying to convince graduating seniors that they should give financially to William Jewell College via the Senior Giving Campaign is like trying to convince them they should take Responsible Self again for fun: Been there, done that, don’t want to do it again. It’s understandable that most students feel that they’ve already given enough to the College. Why should graduates who already feel impoverished by their William Jewell education dig deeper into their pockets to give even after their time at the College is over? It’s not hard to see why students are so adamant about not handing over another check the day they graduate when they’ve already given thousands of dollars to William Jewell. Money already spent is just the first objection. Whether it’s dissatisfaction with the dorms or anger over an undeservedly low grade in a class, it’s easy to find a reason not to give—particularly for seniors who are unsure of the next step after graduation and facing an uncertain financial future. With excuses like these, why did a record-breaking number of seniors make pledges to the Senior Giving Campaign this year? First, the sticker price of a William Jewell education only tells part of the story. Almost all students are the recipients of financial aid, with most receiving significant scholarships and grants. Even those paying full price are paying the College far less than the actual cost of their William Jewell education. The gap between the College’s income from tuition and fees and the actual cost of running the College is millions of dollars each and every year. A William Jewell education isn’t cheap by any means, but its continued affordability is dependent on the support of alumni and others to close this gap. Second, every donation makes a difference, and not just in the touchy-feely, if-everyone-does-just-a-little-bit-we’ll-change-the-world sort of way (although the combined pledges of the class of 2008—some as small as $10—mean thousands of dollars in additional support for the College in the coming years). Magazines ranking colleges and foundations that provide grants look at alumni giving to determine whether or not those who have gone before view the College as a worthy investment. High alumni giving demonstrates a high level of satisfaction with the William Jewell experience. In turn, this leads to the College being more highly ranked and being more competitive for grants and other funding to improve the College. If you need a self-interested reason to give, here it is: As the College’s ranking and reputation improves, the value of your degree increases. Think of your donation as a small insurance policy on the considerable investment you’ve already made in your William Jewell education. Finally, while this alone makes the decision to give easy enough, my decision to give isn’t about how my gift will benefit me. I give because I’m grateful for everything the College has done for me, and want future students to have even greater opportunities. Why do I give? I give because of all of the experiences that my time at the College has made possible. I give because of the people at Jewell who have shaped my life and made the Jewell journey so rewarding. I give because I want to see the institution continue to thrive and succeed. I give because it’s my vote of confidence in the direction that the College is going. A record-breaking number of seniors chose to give back this year to the Senior Giving Campaign. We know how great William Jewell is, and this is our opportunity to tangibly demonstrate to others how great we think it is. We hope all members of the William Jewell will join us in making a commitment to the College. Give to Jewell