SPRING 2007
VOL. 8 NO. 2

Subscribe to the print version. It's free!

Connections

Give a Scholarship. Give a Future  ◊ Alumni News ◊ 60 seconds with... ◊ Alumni Notes ◊ Honor Roll

Savvy business people know that investing in the right place at the right time can reap big rewards for those who know where to spend. Smith alumni and friends know that a scholarship given at a crucial time in a kid’s life can make it possible for a bright young person struggling with a financial need to finish his or her education, meet his or her potential and pursue his or her dreams.

A scholarship is not just a donation to your alma mater, but an investment in the lives of the next generation of leaders. Every Smith student enters the school with top grades, a killer SAT score and a wealth of ambition. It would be a shame for any of these exceptional young people to be kept from their education because of a financial need. The Smith School’s Scholarship Funds make the critical difference in the lives of many a young person.

This is especially true of those students who come to Smith as juniors. Most traditional, university-wide scholarships are given to freshmen. This means that many of our students who transfer in as juniors and have a financial need really depend on the Smith School’s scholarship funds to make ends meet. Scholarships make it possible for them to focus on making the most of their education, rather than figuring out where to scrape together the money for tuition.

The Smith School gave 180 scholarships last year. And for the first time ever, every undergraduate student who applied with a financial need received a scholarship. Every one. One hundred percent! That’s a statistic of which we can all be proud. But while we were able to give each undergraduate financial help, we were not able to completely meet every student’s financial need, as the level of financial need far outstrips our available scholarship funding.

Our need for MBA scholarships is also acute. Because there are so few MBA scholarships available, Dean Frank annually takes $200,000 from the school’s operating budget to alleviate the financial need of Smith MBA students, but this drains needed funding from other school programs. Additional MBA scholarships would benefit both the individual students and the Smith School community.

If you are interested in establishing a current use or endowed scholarship, please contact Elizabeth Mitchell, director of development at 301-405-8141, or Caroleigh Haw, assistant director or development at 301-405-9457.

Your gift to the Smith School Scholarship Fund represents an investment in some of the brightest and most talented young people at the University of Maryland — young people who will become the business leaders of the future. Please use the enclosed envelope to make a tax-deductible gift to the Smith School Scholarship Fund today.

In late August it officially began: construction on Van Munching Hall’s eagerly anticipated $21 million, 38,000-square-foot North Wing. Windows and doors on the north side of the building were boarded up to keep out the dust as giant earthmovers began scraping up pavement and excavating the massive hole that will eventually become the North Wing’s basement.

The three floors above the basement will contain new offices for professors and PhD candidates, state-of-the-art classrooms, and student gathering places. Meeting rooms will provide a more effective space for students to work on Smith’s highly team-based curriculum, where joint projects are the norm for most classes.

The State of Maryland is providing partial funding for the North Wing, and Smith School alumni and friends play a key role in providing the remainder of the funds needed. Commitments to the North Wing have been made, but everyone can make a difference. Use the enclosed envelope to make your gift today. Please make your gift payable to University of Maryland Foundation, designated for Van Munching Hall North Wing construction.

If you are interested in naming a room or space in support of the North Wing building project, please contact Kelly Brown, campaign director at 301-405-1786, or Elizabeth Mitchell, director of development at 301-405-8141.