Yup, Giving Day Paid for That
Last spring, Faith DaSilva ’24, Bailey Thieben ’23, and Atticus Scott ’24 all piled into Jack Ross’s car bound for New York City.
They weren’t seeing their favorite band or exploring the city’s restaurant and museum scene—they were going to talk estuaries and coastal research at the annual gathering of the New England Estuarine Research Society where Thieben was presenting her thesis work.
It was a formative trip for everyone, especially Ross ’25, who’d never visited NYC, but what the group never knew was that the entire experience—from conference fees to hotel costs—was funded by donations from Giving Day 2023.
With Giving Day fast approaching on March 6, the future of Endicott is truly in our community’s hands. As ever, it’s not about the dollar amount, but the number of people that participate that matters.
This year’s Giving Day is going to be bigger and better than ever, and students, faculty, and staff are invited to pick up a specially designed Giving Day campus map in Lower Callahan, stop by each Giving Day station, and receive a stamp. After stamping all locations, participants can return to Lower Callahan with their completed maps and enter to win the chance to designate $1,000 to the College fund of their choice.
One of Giving Day’s most impactful challenges is the $60,000 Big Giving Day Challenge, which matches gifts made to academics, Athletics & Recreation, and Student Life and is sponsored by Trustees Sheila Walsh, Melissa Hempstead ’69, and Ravi Vig.
And if you’ve ever wondered where the donations from Giving Day go once Giving Day is over, read on.
For Provost Sara Quay, who oversees how academic funds are disseminated, “it’s all about the power of transformational learning,” she said.
After each Giving Day, Quay sets aside funding to fuel more travel and opportunities to advance students’ quests for knowledge and passion for their profession.
“Conferences are an expense that’s not in our regular school budgets—the hotels, the registration fees, which even for students are quite high,” she said. “So, Giving Day provides students with a unique opportunity to attend a conference in their field.”
In 2023, hospitality management majors Phoebe Wood ’24, Jacqueline Beatrice ’24, Lauren Rowe ’24, and Emily Mangan ’24 flew to Las Vegas for the IMEX conference, the largest trade show for the global meetings, events, and incentive travel industry.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Wood. “I didn’t expect to meet so many individuals from around the world who are my age and pursuing the same career and have similar interests. It was inspiring to see the future of the industry.”
For Rowe, who’s writing her thesis on sustainability within the hospitality industry, attending sessions on that topic was eye-opening. “It was great to hear and learn from industry experts implementing sustainable work into massive hospitality operations,” she said. “I hope to do similar work.”
On top of more conference opportunities this year, Quay also plans to fund nursing students who will perform clinical work at Mercy Hospital in Cork, Ireland, and “gain a global experience in their field while supporting the patients and staff of Mercy,” said Quay.
Enhancing the campus and student life experience
For Senior Vice President for Student and External Engagement Bryan Cain, Giving Day funding offers endless possibilities to better campus, public safety, and student initiatives, but one thing remains certain—Gary.
Ever since that lovable standard poodle came to campus—all thanks to Bill and Maryann Gilet P’24, sponsors of Giving Day 2022’s Comfort Dog Initiative—Giving Day funds have helped maintain Gary’s luscious locks and grooming needs, on top of food costs, vet bills, and other expenses for both Gary and Lenny, our campus emergency response and preparedness dog.
Like Quay, Cain uses Giving Day funds mindful of the four priorities outlined in Endicott’s strategic plan, Sail Beyond the Shore, with two recent projects—the Winthrop lawn improvement and the Wellness Center renovation—falling under the theme of Power of Place.
“Giving Day accelerated our ability to get these projects done,” he said.
The Winthrop lawn improvements added picnic tables, lawn games, and enhancements to Winthrop’s lawn and the beach area nearby—all of which culminated with the inaugural Spring Fiesta, dubbed Bryan’s Fiesta by students, in May 2023.
Working with officials from the Student Government Association (SGA), Cain also fulfilled a request to make the Counseling Center more private to enhance confidentiality through some interior architecture redesigns.
Recently, Cain met with SGA officials to discuss their priorities for completing another special Giving Day-funded request, and this year’s ideas range from a Gully’s renovation to a campus-wide plastic bottle ban.
“I love collaborating with students and using Giving Day funding to make this campus everything they want it to be and more,” added Cain.
On Giving Day, join the Giving Day team at the Center for Belonging from noon to 2 p.m. for bingo, swag, food, and fun. Players must donate to play!
Advancing Athletics—on and off the field
Of course, when 25% of Gulls are student-athletes, athletics is one of Giving Day’s most popular funding areas—and this year, Trustee Mike Rockett is giving $25,000 to varsity women’s athletics, with each women’s varsity team receiving $2,000 in challenge dollars. The women’s varsity team with the most significant percentage increase of donors from last year’s Giving Day will win an additional $3,000 in challenge dollars.
What’s more, this Giving Day, the Post Center is where it’s at for the first annual Gull Games. Compete against your friends, teammates, coaches, and Endicott Athletics & Recreation staff for a chance to win a gold medal, plus exclusive swag, t-shirts, and a special prize for the winning team.
“It’s a great sense of pride to see the outpouring of support from parents and alums, and the current student-athletes and coaches,” said Dr. Brian A. Wylie, Assistant Vice President and Director of Athletics. “The support we’ve received over the years is so unique and special, and that level of support doesn’t always happen at many other institutions.”
With last year’s Giving Day funds, Endicott’s Athletics & Recreation made enhancements to improve the athletic experience for Gulls in smaller ways—like adding branding to Hempstead Stadium and the tennis courts—and in major ways, like earmarking funds for student-athlete recruiting efforts, and adding unique and specific weight training equipment for the Athletic Performance Center.
One of those pieces of equipment is the , a wireless force platform, and a highly accurate kinetic analysis system that aids human performance assessment and rehabilitation.
Funding also supports , a program that helps set a standard of leadership excellence not only on the field but also off the field.
“The people that have been so committed and dedicated to the belief of what we’re doing within the athletic department—changing and improving the student-athlete experience—just reinforces all the great things we’re doing,” added Wylie. “It’s a special day and we look forward to it every year.”
Giving Day is back on March 6 with a full day of both online and on-campus festivities. .