A successful campaign will give Allegheny College the resources to build on what we already do so well - create educational opportunities that change students' lives - and to make these opportunities available to all of our students.
Our real campaign goals are not to be measured in dollars and cents but in opportunities for students. By investing in the following areas, we ensure that our students can take advantage of all the opportunities that Allegheny has to offer.
Scholarships. Three-quarters of our students receive need-based aid - that is, they would be unable to attend Allegheny without the financial assistance we offer. The College also awards merit scholarships, which attract the best and brightest students to campus, thus enriching the entire College community. To keep our student body at the same high levels of motivation and achievement that have formed the bedrock of our reputation, we must increase the financial assistance we offer so that we may remain competitive with other colleges and universities.
"Without scholarships, I would not be attending one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country, or enjoying everything Allegheny has to offer." - Lauren Croker '05
Support for internships. Internships allow students to sample the working world, to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and to gain a competitive edge when they enter the job market.
The College's internship programs have a proven track record. Allison Haley '02 says of her internship on Capitol Hill, "I learned more than I ever thought I could about the legislative process and how the Senate in particular functions." Andrea DeDent '02 found her biology internship with the Wetlands Institute in Stone Harbor, N.J., invaluable. "I was exposed to a different environment to learn and study in," she says, "as well as numerous techniques and tools that will give me an edge in the future."
Support for international study. By giving students a new perspective on other cultures and a renewed appreciation for their own, international study enriches students' intellectual, social, and personal growth and helps prepare them to live and work in a truly global economic community. Without financial assistance, however, many Allegheny students cannot afford international study. Tracy Klimaz '02, who joined a College-sponsored study tour in South Africa, says that her experience changed the way she looks at life. "It's not about earning as much money as you can," she says. "It's about fulfilling your obligation to society and making a difference in the world."
"The primary highlight of the study tour for me was how its various components-classroom learning, excursions, concerts-fit together and mutually enriched and supported one another. In each of the three components the students learned far more than they could have otherwise. Overall, the study tour provided a great way to learn-and a great way to teach." - Professor of Modern Languages Linda DeMeritt, who co-taught the study tour Viennese Classicism: The Music and Language of Austria
