With cookies, music, heart-felt notes, students thank those who make scholarships possible

By Katie Parsons ’12

Did you know that student-paid tuition covers only 78 percent of the cost to attend Chapman University and the remainder is covered by generous support from donors who make possible a multitude of scholarships? Many students learned this at the annual Thank-A-Donor event organized by the Student Philanthropy Initiative.

In appreciation, students showed gratitude with hand-written thank you notes and letters to more than 600 donors.  Letter-writing stations were set up at multiple times and locations to provide more students the opportunity to take a moment to pen a personal thank you.  Students completed more than 685 letters, doubling last year’s number.

Students showed great enthusiasm especially at a morning writing session where Chapman Radio was broadcast and specially-decorated Sodexo cookies provided, said Alison Dibella ’14, head of the Thank-A-Donor project.  “People were writing five letters, no big deal.  And they weren’t even doing them for the cookies,” Dibella said.

Andy Hemmi ’14 said he wrote a letter last year and was excited to do it again because he knows many students depend on the financial aid made possible by donor support.  “It’s a small way we can give back and show some gratitude,” Hemmi said.