The Class of 2012 Aims to Raise the Equivalent of Tuition for a Cooper Student
POSTED ON: April 20, 2012
Each year, it is a tradition for the graduating class at Cooper Union to raise money in support of the school. The Senior Gift is a way for students at Cooper to give back to the college and support Peter Cooper’s legacy.
This year, the Class of 2012 aims to raise a Senior Gift of $37,500, the equivalent of one full-tuition scholarship at Cooper. The class launched its campaign after spring break and has already raised nearly $6,200. Carl Malings (CE ’12) explains why he supports the Senior Gift: “It was important for me to give back to the school, since it's given me an invaluable education, and I want that opportunity to be available to others in the future as well.”
“How can I not give back to this institution?” adds Rebecca Long (ChE ’12). “I think it was a great idea on the Senior Council's part to have this goal for their classmates, especially in light of everything that we've seen unfold since the fall. I am blessed to have studied at Cooper and built the relationships I have with fellow classmates, alumni, faculty and staff.”
The seniors’ plan has inspired Cooper’s alumni community to invest in their success. Charles Fan (EE ’95), Kenny Yeung (EE ’94) and James Wu (ME ’93) recently issued a Senior Gift Challenge, which matches the first $5,000 raised by the senior class dollar-for-dollar, and offers an additional $100 for every 1% participation the students reach. The class has already exceeded the $5,000 milestone, bringing the current value of their gift to over $11,000.
Kenny Yeung explains why he wanted to support the students’ efforts with an increased contribution this year: “For me, education is the foundation to many possibilities and Cooper is the cornerstone. I got involved for a simple reason: To help preserve something that is important to me - and help ensure that Cooper will be important for many students to come! The students' fundraising effort should be encouraged, expanded and hopefully extended into their alumni years. This is one concrete way to give back to the school that has provided much to many.”
