Mount Saint Mary College’s Challenge of the Decades campaign surpassed its goal for student scholarship support, collecting a total of $101,200 in donations from generous alumni.
From May 1 to June 30, alumni from each graduation decade competed to raise money for student scholarships. With a goal of $100,000 overall, the decade that had the highest percentage of alumni participation would win the challenge. And after two months, the alumni from the 1960s came out on top.
The college’s Advancement office offered a special thank you to a pair of matching gift donors: Dr. Karen Eberle-McCarthy, professor emerita of Hispanic Studies, and an anonymous Class of 1964 alumna.
Other highlights include the 1970s alumni raising the most with $32,470 (nearly $10,000 coming from the Class of 1973 alone), the 1990s alumni donating the first gift of the challenge, and the 1980s alumni donating the final gift of the challenge.
The Mount’s 1960s alumni will be honored with an oversized Adirondack chair in recognition of their dedication to future Mount students. The chair, which will be placed on campus for all to enjoy, will be dedicated at this year’s Alumni Weekend from September 29 to October 1, 2023.
“Attending the Mount was one of the best decisions I ever made,” noted John Hughes ’84, a supporter of the campaign. “Not only did I get an amazing education, I attained leadership skills that have benefitted me to this day.”
Mount scholarships provide an affordable, values-based education to thousands of deserving students, many of whom are among the first in their families to attend college. Thanks to the alumni who participated in the Challenge of the Decades, another group of students who otherwise would not have been able to register for classes next semester will be able to continue their education at the Mount this fall.