More than 80 George Washington University supporters gathered Wednesday night in Miami to celebrate Making History: The Campaign for GW, the university’s $1 billion philanthropic effort.
University alumni, trustees, parents and friends learned details of the campaign in a program that featured remarks from Nelson Carbonell Jr., B.S. ’85, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, GW Provost Steven Lerman and the Honorable B.J. Penn, M.S. ’80, inaugural campaign chair. Wednesday’s event also included testimonials and remarks from Jason Blank, B.A. ’02, chair of the South Florida Alumni Committee, Dana Barsky, B.B.A ’89, and graduate student Juan Rodriguez.
“Making History will help bring the brightest students and the greatest teachers to lead in the discovery of new knowledge at GW,” Dr. Lerman said.
The campaign began with a quiet phase in July 2011 and has raised more than $625 million to date. The university went public with Making History in June and embarked on a multi-city tour earlier this fall to areas with large GW alumni populations, beginning with New York and Philadelphia. The tour includes a future stop in Southern California.
More than 4,800 GW alumni and 600 GW parents reside in South Florida.
Making History: The Campaign for GW has raised more than $625 million to date.
In remarks about his GW experience, Mr. Penn emphasized how the university helped to change his life. He earned a business degree while serving in the U.S. Navy and has since remained connected to the university as a trustee and volunteer.
“GW changed my life, and my own history,” he said. “What I learned as a student—and as a volunteer and a trustee—enabled me to be a leader, to be successful. I’m enormously grateful for that. I stood on the shoulders of many people to get to where I did. And this campaign is about all of us being those shoulders for others.”
Mr. Carbonell, a fixture at campaign events throughout the summer and fall, recalled his experience as a scholarship-receiving engineering student in the 1980s. He and his wife, Michele, have since established the Nelson and Michele Carbonell Engineering Endowed Scholarship and the Carbonell Family Professorship in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. In remarks about his transformative experience at GW, he encouraged attendees to connect with the university philanthropically.
“I charge you here tonight to do three things: Volunteer with GW through your Florida alumni group—mentor a student, help a fellow alum just entering the job market,” he said. “Advocate. Talk about GW with prospective students, with your friends, your co-workers. Finally, make a gift. I’m not going to tell you how much, but show your support for GW with a gift to Making History.”
Mr. Rodriguez, a Miami native and first-generation college student, is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration. He spoke of how a scholarship from the Broyhill Endowment provided him with the opportunity to follow his academic dreams.
“I know what it is like to encounter obstacles that seem as if they are impossible to overcome,” he said. “Being at GW has helped me to overcome those obstacles. GW not only has given me amazing peers, invaluable knowledge and a network that will last me a lifetime. But it also has provided me a chance for a brighter future.”
