The budget here in Pennsylvania experienced some trouble in the recent months as education funding was held back from providing state universities like Temple University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Pittsburgh and Lincoln with according to an article by the Temple News. This leaves them without the proper resources to support their students and surrounding communities.
For problems like these, here at Temple we have a program called the Temple Telefund. This program employs students to call alumni, parents and friends of the university to educate them on the importance of annual giving and give them the opportunity to get involved.
All of these students need a fearless leader to ensure they are keeping up with goals and providing the university with the proper funds to continue offering scholarships to deserving students who may not otherwise be able to access a higher education and many other positive student resources.
Here at Temple University, that fearless leader is a young woman named Annie Chase. A local of Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, just outside of Harrisburg, Chase graduated from Messiah College with a degree in International Business and the Spanish language.
After spending her college years as a student caller herself, graduating and looking for jobs in the sphere of her major, she noticed a job opportunity open up here at Temple University, and she decided to jump on it, “the opportunity to work as a Program Center Manager [at Temple University] presented itself, and I noticed the unique intersection of private and public sector work, operating a portion of a business while teaching fundraising skills to benefit institutions within higher education,” she stated.
Her dedication and faith in the program’s ability to better the lives of the students here at the university, as well as the university itself, have continued to add to her enjoyment of this job. She went on to explain that, “The dedication of students to their universities as well as the opportunity to witness first-hand their professional development and gains in confidence have always been my motivator for persisting in this position.”
Coming to Temple’s program with experience mostly in smaller programs she states, “it can be challenging/impossible to singlehandedly accomplish my ideal version of staff development.” As for how she handles managing a room full of college students every night, she states, “Delegation has become quite important, and I’m thankful for a dedicated group of student supervisors who seek to replicate my vision for the program during their training, onboarding, and coaching processes.”
In regards to managing students, she also speaks about the power of Ruffalo Noel Levitz, of which Temple University is a client. According to their website, the company “is distinguished by its powerful array of technology-enabled enrollment and fundraising services that have been used by more than 3,000 colleges and universities and numerous nonprofit clients worldwide.”
Chase states, “Ruffalo Noel Levitz also offers unique professional development experiences, such as the opportunity to serve as a peer to peer mentor for other managers, train newly hired managers, and attend topic-based speaking series; staying mentally and relationally sharp is vital,” which provides wonderful resources to the students’ ability to grow as professionals and the success of the university.
Her position alone carries a lot of weight when it comes to the success of the center each night and its success overall. The Telefund hosts special programs to incentivize giving and to further educate the university’s alumni, parents and friends about certain scholarship giving opportunities.
In order to fulfill these programs and ensure the university is making its goals, Chase states, “When I consider my position objectively, the level of responsibility expected of a Program Center Manager is unmatched and there have been weeks in this position where seven days of work were not out of the ordinary, and hours well-beyond a standard 40 hour work week were necessary to see projects through to their completion.”
However, despite the long hours and large amounts of dedication, Chase has been extremely successful in her position here at Temple University and states that, “The Telefund this year has accounted for nearly $600,000 in specified commitments from over 7,000 individual alumni, parents, and friends,” which is hugely beneficial for the university, especially in times like these when the budget is no guarantee.
When she’s not managing a room of college students that raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year for the university, she likes to take some time to enjoy her favorite activities, “Philadelphia offers so many great venues for music and cultural events, local art and science museums, and incredible restaurants and I love being active and running or participating in yoga classes,” she states, “Spending time with family and friends in the area, going on hikes, cooking and baking, and finding the best fish tacos in the city are great ways to spend time as well.”
For the future of her career, she hopes to continue to help people in need, “I hope to own my own business, contributing to a specific community need, whether in Philadelphia or elsewhere,” she states, “This would involve the employment and development of individuals and families who otherwise might not have access to job training or life-giving vocation.”
To her success, she attributes it to “a desire to learn and grow, relational connectedness to clients, students, and co-workers, a strategic outlook, a deep sense of responsibility, and the inclusion of others in the process,” she states.
Furthermore, she states, “Recognition by people whose work I respect is very rewarding and motivating in my position,” and goes to say, “witnessing the growth of others and hearing word of client milestone success through our efforts also drives day to day progress.”