Class representatives help connect classmates and encourage giving

More than 65 graduates, from as far back as 1935, serve as class representatives linking PLU with their classmates. Class representatives are ambassadors for PLU and provide essential fund-raising support to ensure the Annual Fund can meet the needs of the university each year. Annual Fund dollars support such things as necessary technology upgrades, vital student scholarships, exceptional faculty recruitment and retention, important resources for the library and much more.

Class representatives from around the country write letters to classmates, help solicit Class Notes for Scene and encourage alumni giving. It’s easy to stay in touch in the electronic age, so you don’t have to live near PLU to take part. In fact, many organize alumni events in their own cities far from campus. If you’re interested in serving as a class representative contact Heather Dewey ’01 at deweyhn@plu.edu.

Here, three class representatives tell why they serve in this important role:

Angie Nicholson Magruder ’67
What is PLU to me? What was it? Why do I care, after 35 years? Why have I decided to be a class representative?

I want to share what it means to me after such a long time, now living so far away on the East Coast. Luckily my parents live in Lakewood, Wash., so I have been able to keep up with PLU over the years. PLU to me has always embodied honesty, charity and concern for others, both here and around the world.

I offered to be a class rep, to encourage my classmates to get reacquainted with PLU and all it offers, as well as to reconnect with classmates, and get to know those I didn’t before. The more I find out about PLU today, the prouder I am that I took on this role.

Being a class rep has allowed me to stay current with all that is happening. You may not be aware (as I was not), that the Q Club annually helps more than 1,100 students and raises more than $1.4 million for scholarships! The Annual Fund provides the backbone of day-to-day financial support of the university, and the number of those who give (not the amount of the gift) is one of the factors in the university’s national rankings.

PLU to me? It’s a wonderful school, and as a class representative, I have a super opportunity to help others find that out!

Mark Christopherson ’84
Why give?

Put simply, I give back to PLU because I can help provide someone else the opportunity for an education. Ninety-three percent of today’s students receive financial aid; most of this aid comes from your and my contributions to PLU in the form of gifts to the Annual Fund or Q Club memberships. Without our help, very few students are able to afford the cost of an education at PLU. Giving back to PLU will help to open a door for somebody else, and directly serve someone who needs help.

My gift is more than just a donation to PLU. It’s an investment in the life of a young Lute, which in turn strengthens PLU as an institution and society as a whole. The return we all receive is incalculable. That’s why it’s so important that we all do our part, whether it’s a one-time contribution, an annual gift in the form of Q Club membership or various other financial options that contribute to PLU’s Annual Fund.

Your gift to PLU’s Annual Fund isn’t just a tax-deductible donation; it is an investment in the future of the university, the community and our society. We must continue to make PLU affordable to everyone who is academically qualified, and to support the impact that an education can make in someone’s life.

Ashley Orr ’00
When I graduated in May 2000 I knew I wanted to give back to PLU. One of the ways I can express my gratitude for all that PLU has given me is to participate as a class rep.

I became a member of Q Club when I was a freshman living in Foss Hall and working as a TelALute (student caller) I encouraged everyone to give. I’m currently in a graduate program in Southern California and am reminded of the struggle for a private school education. While I budget every penny, I continue to consider my monthly Q Club gift a necessity; for someone else it truly is.

Lutes are everywhere. The other day I spotted a PLU sticker on the back of an SUV on the 405 and although I tried to speed up, L.A. traffic kept me wondering who that Lute was and where they were going. I guess that’s part of an enduring question among alumni: who is going where? Although I may never know who was on the 405 that day, I am able to keep up with other alums by reading Scene four times a year. It’s easy to keep Lutes updated by going online to www.plu.edu.

I hope to continue the legacy set before me by other incredible alumni and know that you too share this hope. Generations have benefited by all we do as alumni, and future Lutes will as well.