Tell us about yourself. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri and a First Generation college student – I had no idea what to do when I graduated high school! I had a few friends attending Missouri State so that sounded good! I attended in the year of the name change and unfortunately had to move back home to help my family after my year living in Woods.
I attended UMKC and majored in Studio Art with an emphasis in photography. I had originally planned on being a veterinarian! I got a part-time job at the UMKC Phone Campaign my junior year of college. I couldn’t speak to people face-to-face, let alone on the phone! I had another job lined up at the Vitamin Shoppe, but the Phone Campaign job fit my schedule and paid more. Turned out I was good at fundraising, and I raised $200,000 in support for students at UMKC. I had a full-time job offer before I graduated – to earn a salary with my art degree and run Phone Campaigns across the country. It was the best decision I ever made because I wouldn’t have my dream job currently without it!
What is your job at Missouri State? How does the work you and your team do affect our students? I am Director of Annual Funds for the Missouri State Foundation. My job is to secure any gift less than $25,000 for the Foundation. I reach out to alumni, friends, parents, and even sometimes students to fund-raise for vital resources on campus – including scholarships. Most people don’t realize that tuition does not cover the cost of an education and a lot of students have the financial need for a scholarship. Private support is essential to being able to offer the best education possible and to ensure students can attend Missouri State regardless of their ability to pay.
What is your favorite Missouri State Tradition? Why? My favorite tradition is the birthday party! I love seeing the students celebrate Missouri State, and this year we will be celebrating GIVING DAY during our birthday party. We will even have a donut wall for students!
How do you see Student Affairs and the Annual Fund partnering together? How do you start a crowdfunding project? Student Affairs has a direct impact on our students. We want to ensure their passions are funded and we are providing the best facilities, programs, and hands-on-learning opportunities for our students. Annual Funds and private support tie directly back to students as that’s who we are doing this all for.
To start a crowdfunding project – fill out an application and we’ll walk you through the rest. Campaigns should be less than $10,000 and best practice is to have 10% of your goal before you start. Crowdfunding campaigns have a project owner who is responsible for seeing the campaign through, but it takes the entire Missouri State community to make the campaign successful through sharing. You can learn more here: https://www.missouristatefoundation.org/msu-crowdfunding.htm.