{"id":1379,"date":"2023-04-27T10:56:22","date_gmt":"2023-04-27T14:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/?p=1379"},"modified":"2023-05-10T11:08:59","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T15:08:59","slug":"a-night-of-gratitude-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/2023\/04\/27\/a-night-of-gratitude-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A Night of Gratitude"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recognizing the profound impact of philanthropy on ÌÇÐÄvlog students and the University\u2019s excellence, more than 150 guests gathered on April 21 for a Donor Celebration, held in the Alexander Kasser Theater and at an outdoor reception on the Theater promenade.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a fantastic evening to recognize the important role philanthropy plays in the growth of ÌÇÐÄvlog\u2026we couldn\u2019t do everything we do without the support of donors,\u201d said University President Jonathan Koppell.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t be more thrilled to welcome you to express our appreciation for all of you who give so much \u2013 of your time, your resources and your energy \u2013 to help make this University everything it can be,\u201d he shared in his opening remarks.<\/p>\n

Among the invited guests were members of the President\u2019s Club, which is the University\u2019s leadership annual giving society; the Carpe Diem Society, those who have committed legacy gifts; and members of the 1908 Loyalty Society, representing donors who give consecutively, some of whom have been donating to Montclair each and every year for more than 30 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cInvestments in the University create opportunities for students, to take a promise of accessibility and inclusiveness and make it real. This institution has done a remarkable job in showing that we can be both accessible and excellent,\u201d said Koppell.<\/p>\n

Alumnus Greg Collins, chair of the ÌÇÐÄvlog Foundation, added his appreciation to donors. \u201cThanks to your generosity across all areas of the University, we\u2019ve continued to grow resources to support student success,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Collins pointed out how donor support and engagement helps students on their paths, and how alumni are reconnecting with the University through many affinity groups and volunteer committees, including the University\u2019s Hispanic\/Latinx Alumni Network, the Recent Alumni Network, the Future Alumni Network, the Attorney Alumni Network and the Black Alumni Advisory Council.<\/p>\n

Student gratitude<\/h2>\n

A number of Montclair students attended the event, and two shared with the audience the impact Montclair has had on their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the students, faculty and staff at Montclair, I was able to gain the confidence and experience I need to graduate and be successful,\u201d said Sabrina Hajsok, a senior majoring in Filmmaking. \u201cAnd because of generous scholarship support from donors like you, I was able to focus on my studies and worry less about the financial struggle that college students go through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neel Patel, a senior majoring in Molecular Biology, shared his story of emigrating at age 10 with his family from Gujarat, India and his desire to make healthcare more accessible and relieve some of the struggles he saw growing up.<\/p>\n

\u201cMontclair has given me the opportunity to help make a difference that will change the lives of future generations. I want to continue on the path to become a doctor to serve others,\u201d he said. \u201cThank you for supporting each of the students at Montclair and for providing us with the opportunity to work toward our aspirations. We are better because of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program included student performances of selections from the Department of Theatre and Dance production of On the Town<\/em>. Amidst an array of food stations and the serenade of live music by the student jazz quartet, guests mingled and interacted with students who were eager to share their gratitude, their aspirations and their appreciation for their Montclair experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing more invigorating than to be witness to what our students are capable of,\u201d said Koppell. \u201cThis is what donors are helping to make possible, and I hope they feel great about what they are helping to make happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo Gallery<\/h2>\n
President Jonathan Koppell kicks off the program in the Kasser Theater to welcome donors and friends.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"female
Sabrina Hajsok, a senior Filmmaking major, shares that Montclair students and faculty have had a huge impact on her life.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"male
Neel Patel, a senior Molecular Biology major, thanks donors for their support.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
President Koppell praises the talent of the student performers of On The Town<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Group
Donors gather in the Kasser Theater lobby after the performance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Student Government Association President Richard Steiner-Otoo, President Koppell and Chris Fitzpatrick \u201904 enjoy the outdoor reception.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
A beautiful backdrop of campus closes out a beautiful gathering.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Story by Director of Development Communications\u00a0Laura Iandiorio<\/a>. Photos by\u00a0John J. LaRosa<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Festive evening celebrates University donors for their generous support <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1381,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-montclair-state-university-donors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1379"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1411,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1379\/revisions\/1411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1381"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/giving\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}