4 minute read
A note from Hobbs
PIEDMONT ALUMNI: Join the Lions Share Network!
Have you joined Piedmont University’s Lions Share Network? If not, now is the time!
The Lion’s Share Network is the Alumni Association’s dedicated website for alumni, students, and other members of the Piedmont University community.
It’s your best source for Piedmont news. It’s where alumni can easily keep in touch with classmates and their former professors. It’s the place for information about upcoming alumni events. It’s where you can get first dibs on new alumni gear available through Piedmont’s online store. It’s also the perfect place to show your support for Piedmont University by making a gift to the fund of your choice.
Ready to join? We can’t wait to connect with you.
Register for the Lions Share Network by visiting alumni.piedmont.edu. We’ll be in touch! A Note from Hobbs
Your alumni house
Craig Rogers speaks at the inaugural Yonahian Society Gala.
As I complete my third year at Piedmont, leading an incredible team of dedicated and passionate folks who believe deeply in Piedmont University’s mission and potential, it is time to take stock and look forward.
In University Advancement, our overarching goals since I arrived have been to raise the profile of the institution through sophisticated marketing tactics and create a culture of philanthropy by engaging alumni, employees, community leaders, and others with a heart for Piedmont.
In the last three years, we’ve rebranded Piedmont, supported the institution’s transition to a university, redesigned piedmont.edu, significantly increased social and web traffic, expanded Journal, engaged students in our storytelling efforts, and worked collaboratively with departments throughout the university to highlight all Piedmont has to offer. For decades, Piedmont was “Georgia’s bestkept secret,” but through our marketing efforts, we’re raising awareness, and I’m happy to share, contributing to increasing undergraduate applications and deposits.
Our marketing efforts go hand-in-hand with our work to create a culture of philanthropy that will support Piedmont’s growth for generations to come. In April 2022, we hosted our first Yonahian Society Gala. This event represented a building block in the culture we’re creating. It was truly beautiful and inspiring to join the inaugural Yonahian Society class for a night celebrating the difference Piedmont has made in their lives. is capable of reaching. We need your help! Here are some ways you can get involved:
• Get involved with the Alumni
Association. Learn more at alumni.piedmont.edu.
• Let us share your story on piedmont. edu, social media, and in marketing materials. Contact Rachel Pleasant at rpleasant@piedmont.edu.
• Attend events. Follow us on Facebook,
Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, and join the Alumni Association to stay up to date on upcoming events.
• Give to Piedmont.
Let me expound on the last point. Alumni giving reflects on Piedmont in many ways. It is a signal to prospective students and their families that alumni believe in this institution. Many charitable foundations want to see a high participation rate before their boards will give to the university. Philanthropists will often take alumni giving into consideration before deciding where to make large-scale gifts — if alumni won’t invest, why should they?
The size of your gift isn’t what matters. What matters is that you think enough of Piedmont to give, whatever that amount may be. If you believe, like I do, that Piedmont makes a positive difference in the lives of its students, please show your support by giving to the LionsShare fund. Our goal is to reach 1,000 alumni donors each year. We won’t get there without you. Make your gift by visiting piedmont. edu/giving-to-piedmont-university.
Thank you for all you do for Piedmont University.
CHAPLAIN’S DISCRETIONARY FUND
‘Gift From the Universe’ Helps a Student Graduate
By Tiffany long
A Piedmont University student’s recent financial hardship perfectly summarizes the importance of the Chaplain’s Discretionary Fund.
The student, a Criminal Justice major who supports his family while going to school full time, is scheduled to graduate in December. Family finances leave little room for the unexpected, so when the student was told he needed to pay a graduation fee — which covers the cost of his diploma — he faced a real problem.
For most students, this fee is nominal. They hardly think twice about it as they finish up their classes, enjoy the last moments of college life, and prepare for the next stages of their lives. Not so for this student. He already had a job awaiting him after graduation, but he was prepared to turn down gainful employment within his career field and leave Piedmont without a diploma because this final fee seemed so insurmountable.
The student’s academic advisor kept asking him why he hadn’t submitted his graduation application, and he explained his predicament. Immediately, the advisor reached out to Campus Minister Tim GarvinLeighton to see if the Chaplain’s Discretionary Fund could help pay the student’s graduation fee. Rev. Tim’s immediate response: “Yes.”
As the administer of the fund, Garvin-Leighton refers to the anonymous support given to students through the fund as “a gift from the universe.” Made possible through donations, the Chaplain’s Discretionary Fund exists to help students when they find themselves in a tough financial spot. Students are always grateful.
“Never, not once, has a student acted entitled or deserving,” Garvin-Leighton said. “Some do pay it back, though there is no expectation that they do.”
He added:
Campus Minister Rev. Tim Garvin-Leighton
To help a student in need, donate by:
CHECK made out to Piedmont University, with “Chaplain’s Discretionary Fund” in the memo line, to the attention of
Rev. Tim Garvin-Leighton or University Advancement, P.O. Box 10 Demorest, GA 30535
OR
ONLINE donate at piedmont.edu/
giving-to-piedmont-
university.
For more information, email Garvin-Leighton at tleighton@ piedmont.edu.
