WASHINGTON, D.C. – Howard University students recently kicked off a campaign to get more participates in a new student-led program that focus on giving back prior to student’s graduation ceremony.
The “Howard Helping Howard Initiative” was founded by two Howard student trustees, Tuedy Wilson (undergraduate), and Kelechi Anyanwuto (graduate), and both trustees insists that students become a part of the giving back process “before they leave and become alumni,” reports the university student newspaper The Hilltop.
From TheHilltopOnline.com, “The plan for this initiative has been thoroughly developed months in advance. Both trustees agreed that it is important to get students accustomed to giving back to the university, before they leave and become alumni. Partnering with Alumni Relations and other campaigns such as the newly founded We Are Howard Campaign, which focuses on alumni giving back, the Howard Helping Howard Initiative has already received its first donation. The campaign kicked off Friday, Feb. 6, at The Punchout.”
According to The Hilltop, after meeting with Howard organization leaders both trustees agreed on a goal of 20% of the Howard student body chipping in, or approximately 2,000 in the giving back process:
[quote_box_center]“The purpose is essentially to engage students, while they are students, to be able to give back to their alma mater while still being enrolled,” says trustee Wilson on the campaign that already has its first donation. “Its focus is to promote a culture shift from just being students to being stakeholders.”[/quote_box_center]
“It’s not how much you give, but the fact that you give and encourage others to do the same.” – Kelechi Anyanwu
Both Wilson and Anyanwu also hopes the program will leave lasting impressions with the Bison students, and the surrounding community.
“It’s not how much you give, but the fact that you give and encourage others to do the same,” Anyanwu said.
Dear HBCU writers and editorial staff. This was a very good article regarding the promotion of “giving back”. One piece of advice I will share is to make sure someone else reads and edits any correspondence before you submit, be it person to person or via social media. This article was brought to my attention via email by other HBCU graduates and professionals. One thing the HBCU campuses emphasize is professionalism. Your professionalism should always be forefront and I hope you receive this message in the spirit which it is given. Keep up the good work.