Kelsey Kriz is a senior Communications major with a minor in Political Science and a certificate in Leadership. She is also co-chair of the Senior Legacy program and sat down with me over dinner in Moody to talk about the importance of giving back and the kind of legacy she hopes to leave at Hollins.
Amber Rambharose (AR): So how did you get involved with the Senior Legacy?
Kelsey Kriz (KK): Well, I’d done phone-a-ton for a few years so I was drawn to the Hollins fund and it seemed like a great opportunity to help seniors give back to Hollins.
AR: For those who don’t know, what is the Senior Legacy Project?
KK: Well basically we’re trying to get seniors to give back to Hollins while they’re still here to get them into the habit of giving back to their school and supporting their alma mater. Currently Hollins is ranked 8th in the country as giving back the highest per capita per student so that’s a huge thing for Hollins and we want to continue that and continue giving scholarships. The Hollins fund helps fill the gap between student’s tuition and what’s left over. So that covers scholarships, teacher salaries, building improvements, the hill house renovations, athletics. Basically everything that you see on campus comes from the Hollins funds as well as tuition payments. So this year we’re looking for more for participation than we are for dollar amount so whether it’s a dollar, ten dollars…our suggested gift amount is twenty dollars and twelve cents but you can always give more. Anyway, at graduation President Gray is going to announce that we’ve had x amount of participation and we are currently at 16% which is pretty embarrassing.
AR: Alright, so give. That’s the message.
KK: Yes, please give.
AR: What makes Hollins worthy of the money of impoverished college students who have zero dollars?
KK: I think that now that we’re in our senior year everyone has something different, a different reason why Hollins has been great for them, whether it’s the friendships they’ve made or the teachers they’ve had or the experiences they’ve had at HAB events or SGA sponsored events. For me, it’s the friendships I’ve formed and the fun that I’ve had at traditions as well as the internship opportunities that will help me in the future.
AR: IF there was someone on the fence about giving what would you say to them?
KK: I think one of the problems in our class is that obviously we are all impoverished, we have debts up to our eyeballs but at the same time it doesn’t matter how much you give and even if you’re frustrated with the administration or financial aid or the business office, your gift isn’t going to them. It’s going to future generations of Hollins students and if we want Hollins to continue to be a success, we need help from every single student in the form of participation.
AR: So how does one donate to the Senior Legacy Program.
KK: That’s a great question! There are numerous ways you can donate to the Senior Legacy program. You can give the money to myself, Kelsey Kriz or Lauren Ann Link. We’re the co-chairs of Senior Legacy. You can stop by that little brick building on the way to campus from the apartments and drop off your money there or you can go here (www.hollins.edu/giveonline) and that will guide you through the steps. Also, all of the money is due by senior brunch.
AR: What’s your favorite part of Hollins?
KK: I would definitely say the traditions.
AR: What’s your favorite tradition? Are you a Tinker Day girl?
KK: Ring Night. I love Ring Night.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Hollins chapter.