UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s class of 2022 has chosen to create a lasting legacy by directing its class gift to the UHS/UPUA Wellness Fund, designed to help alleviate the financial strain many Penn Staters experience when worrying about affording medical costs.
The UHS/UPUA Wellness Fund was recently conceived and established through a collaboration between the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) and University Health Services (UHS). Support from the class of 2022 will enhance the fund and provide students in financial need with the resources necessary to cover most UHS billable services, empowering them to focus on their educational experience.
Student Philanthropy Network (SPN) members Connor Cook and Jacob Reynolds made the announcement on Oct. 19 during Homecoming’s "Past to Present" event. After a nominations and selections process, class of 2022 students voted on the gift from Oct. 8 to 17.
“The engagement with this year’s Class Gift campaign has been inspiring. As part of our process, any Penn Stater is welcome to submit a nomination for that year’s class gift. We had dozens of impactful and innovative gift nominations submitted for this year’s campaign, proving, once again, that Penn Staters are thoughtful and engaged members of our great community,” said Jacob Reynolds, SPN president.
At the announcement event, O. Richard Bundy II, Penn State’s vice president for Development and Alumni Relations, offered his perspective on the selection, which follows in the footsteps of recent class gifts that support the well-being of current and future students.
“With the gift you have chosen, the class of 2022 will provide critical resources to the next generations of Penn Staters to get them the medical help they need,” said Bundy. “If the past year and a half has taught us anything, it’s how important proper medical treatment is to sustaining a healthy, safe life… Your class has used its dedication, creativity, and love for the Blue and White to inspire us as a community.”
The class gift tradition began 130 years ago with the graduating class of 1861. At their 1890 reunion, the class of 1861 presented the inaugural class gift: a portrait of Penn State’s first president, Evan Pugh. This portrait can still be found in Old Main on the University Park campus.
Members of the Student Philanthropy Network will be soliciting gifts through events, emails and phone calls from students graduating in May, August or December 2022. All members of the Penn State community may contribute to the gift.
To make a gift to the Class Gift of 2022, text ClassGift2022 to 71777. Follow class gift information on Facebook or @PennStateSPN on Twitter and Instagram. Questions can be directed to Brie Burdge, class gift adviser, at bwb67@psu.edu or 814-863-2052.
Support for the UHS/UPUA Wellness Fund will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.