Seniors weigh in on donating to Class Financial Aid Fund

Ariella Frommer Staff Writer

As the Class of 2023 prepares to graduate in June, one of their roles as soon-to-be alumni was revealed at a grade meeting last Tuesday: donors to their Class Financial Aid Fund.

Each graduating class has a fund organized by the Alumni & Development Office. Members of the class can donate to support financial assistance for future students, starting their last year at the school with the Senior Class Gift. After the Alumni Office gives seniors the opportunity to donate, they ask their parents to contribute towards the Fund, hoping to raise a total of $100,000. The Office also recruits volunteer Class Agents from the grade to help fundraise; ten seniors were chosen this year.

At the grade meeting, the Alumni & Development Office introduced the Class Agents and announced the Senior Class Gift campaign. They set a goal for 50% class participation to surpass the highest rate from recent years — 30% in 2019. Every donor gets a maroon Horace Mann pennant, and if 91 of the 182 students donate by May 31, the class will win an ice cream party on the last day of school. So far, 14 students (7% of the class) a Here is what stu thought about the announcement the Class Gift, on an anony Record poll responses seniors.

I WILL DONATE BECAUSE... I WON’T BECAUSE...

I just don’t have an income right now, so I plan to give a little now and then more in the future with my own money. I want to donate because I was compelled by the financial aid speech they gave and at some point in my life, I would like to give back to the place that has provided me with so much.

- Hannah Moss (12), Class Agent

I understand that it may seem inconsequential right now to donate to the school, but I do think it’s important to recognize that the goal of starting now is to get students engaged and not necessarily to raise a lot of money. We don’t expect incentives to be the main driver of donations. We really hope people are planning to give out of a genuine interest in giving back to the school.

- Jake Ziman

(12),

Class Agent

Horace Mann has truly been a life changing experience, and one that I owe a lot to, so I want to help support the future generations and their education, just as other people have supported ours.

- Louise Kim (12), Class Agent

Understanding our roles as soon-to-be alums should be about giving back in more tangible ways — like coming back to speak at assemblies or mentoring younger students — instead of immediately framing our identity as alums based on our decision to donate. I don’t think they should ask us for it before we’ve even graduated; it explicitly treats our continued connection to this school as something monetary-based rather than having us exhibit true appreciation for our experiences here.

- Jiyon Chatterjee (12)

I may donate one day when I am financially stable enough to do so, but I do not have the extra money right now. I don’t think it’s at all realistic to expect significant donations from kids before they even graduate high school.

- Anonymous

My parents contribute an amount they feel appropriate for us to give as a family (which obviously includes me) and I have never worked a paying job.

- Anonymous into [bowling on Nintendo Switch].

It got competitive — I saw different older adults going against each other and trying to beat each other.”

Students and older adults were able to connect by playing video games together, Lily Sussman (9) said. “I loved getting to bond with the seniors. Seeing their excitement as they tried the new technologies was also exciting for me, and showed me that the help I was doing made an impact.” The line for a virtual reality booth was especially long, Sussman said.

Older adults were immersed in a scam prevention presentation hosted by Melissa Migdon (11). “A lot of the older adults came up to us at the end and said, ‘this presentation has been very, very informative,’ ‘now I know how to avoid scams.’ I thought that was very successful,” Peck said.

The CCVA will host the Tech Expo again next year and is always looking for new students to join, Joyce-Bernard said.

Another “Tech Expo” would be interesting, especially if it featured other technology, Kisling said. “I would definitely come back and do it again.”