Atlanta was the seventh stop on George Washington University President Thomas LeBlanc’s alumni and donor tour, but his message remained the same: GW is in the business of getting better.
Dr. LeBlanc shared his aspirations for GW with donors, alumni, families and friends from the Atlanta metro region at a community reception Nov. 14. He also discussed the accomplishments related to the university’s strategic initiatives during his first year in office. These initiatives will guide the university as it approaches its bicentennial in 2021.
The evening community reception began with a pre-reception for donors, where Dr. LeBlanc and Donna Arbide, vice president for development and alumni relations, thanked donors for their philanthropic leadership at GW. Ms. Arbide told the audience the university is striving for increased alumni giving, with a goal of 16,000 alumni donors this fiscal year.
“One of our goals at GW is to create a greater community of consistent philanthropy,” she said. “That is a reflection of loyalty and pride, and we hope we have many more alumni who love GW and will give back.”
Former GW student-athlete and donor Brianna Cummings, CCAS BS ’18, attended both the pre- and community receptions with her parents, donors Freddie and Angela Cummings, to learn more about Dr. LeBlanc’s priorities for her alma mater.
A member of the 2018 Atlantic 10 GW Women’s Basketball Championship team, Ms. Cummings took advantage of GW’s Student-Athlete Mentorship Program to connect with alumni in the Atlanta area and learn more about pursuing a career as a physician assistant after graduation.
“GW gave me a lot academically and athletically, and it had a family environment,” said Ms. Cummings, who fondly recalled the memories she and her teammates made on a trip to Europe during her first year. “I really want to stay engaged with GW and learn about the direction of the school.”
In addition to the community reception, Dr. LeBlanc and Ms. Arbide held small group meetings with select alumni leaders and parents in the metro Atlanta area to learn more about their personal GW experiences and discuss how they can remain involved with the university.
During the community reception, Dr. LeBlanc shared recent progress on his university priorities, which include a new B.S. in international affairs and streamlining interactions among students, faculty and staff to cultivate a more efficient and positive culture at the university.
He also acknowledged families and students in attendance from the Posse Foundation. GW partners with the Posse Foundation to provide full-tuition leadership scholarships to select high school graduates from Atlanta, part of the university’s commitment to enrolling a more diverse student body with a focus on students from groups that are historically underrepresented in higher education.
Since 2015, student enrollment from the Southeastern United States has significantly increased each year, with the majority from the metro Atlanta region. GW Regional Director of Admissions Carol Lee Conchar, who attended the evening’s events with her daughter, donor Haven Bills, CCAS BA ’16, said GW’s test-optional policyand its partnership with the Posse Foundation have led more students from the Southeast region to GW.
“Many students in public schools are more inclined to apply in state, and they unfortunately can’t see opportunities for themselves at GW,” she said. “Posse opened up opportunities for more diverse students from more public schools. We are also finding prospective students are learning about GW from their peers. Through word-of-mouth, they are seeing the impact of GW and are considering attending instead of enrolling in the in-state choices here in Georgia.”
Approximately 30 Posse scholars are now enrolled at GW, and Ms. Conchar said these students are “active voices on campus and are making change happen.”
Change was also on the mind of Amy Gopal, CCAS BA ’11, leader of GW’s Atlanta Alumni Network. Ms. Gopal first learned about GW from her brother Jeffrey A. D’Onofrio, CCAS BA ’09, GSEHD MEd ’10, and subsequently met with Ms. Conchar. During the question-and-answer section of the program, Ms. Gopal told Dr. LeBlanc she hopes her daughter will be a GW Colonial and asked how the university plans to increase its financial aid offerings and remain competitive with in-state schools.
Dr. LeBlanc said the university is doing “everything we can” to make a GW education more accessible. He noted the average student loan debt for an undergraduate degree at GW is approximately $32,000, which is far less than the total cost-of-attendance, and that financial aid is the “fastest growing budget line at the university by far.”
He reminded the audience that their philanthropic support was critical to helping the university help the next generation of students.
“I believe the greatest force for social mobility in our country today is higher education,” he said. “The only way that works is if we try to figure out how to make it affordable for people who otherwise can’t afford it.”
The university will host several additional receptions with Dr. LeBlanc during the 2018-19 academic year. The next reception is in Palm Beach, Fla., in February.
Individuals can support the university’s efforts to make a GW education affordable and accessible to all qualified students by making a gift to Power & Promise student aid.
