Allison Fox ’15 creates scholarship opportunities for women who wish to study business at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ. The generous gift targets two priorities of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ LEADS, the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history.
When Allison Fox ’15 attends corporate meetings in her role as a banking industry manager, she sometimes finds herself as one of the few women in the room. She would like to change that dynamic by investing in future women business leaders who attend ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ.
Fox, who majored in finance with a minor in statistics, says her gift to the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ LEADS Campaign serves multiple purposes— developing more scholarships at her alma mater and building diversity in business careers.
“Diversity is key for innovation in the workplace, however women are still underrepresented in business leadership positions,” Fox says. “I want to encourage more women to pursue education and careers in business.”
Fox’s gift will assist two students each year. ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Engagement Scholarships are designed for promising students who embody the spirit and values of the university and are eager to take advantage of the university’s engaged learning programs called the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Experiences: Study Abroad, Study USA, Undergraduate Research, Internships, Leadership and Service Learning. The ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Engagement Scholarship is renewable annually and includes a one-time grant to be used for one of the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Experiences.
“I think that education is a valuable tool and I wanted to give more people the opportunity to have an ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ education, to get the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Experiences,” Fox says. “It was such a good opportunity for myself that I wanted to give it to people who might not be able to do it on their own.”
James B. Piatt, Jr., vice president for university advancement, says scholarship support from young alumni donors is critical to increasing the university’s financial aid program. It is the top priority of the current ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ LEADS Campaign.
“Nothing is more important than making an ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ education more accessible to promising students who might not otherwise be able to attend ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ and take advantage of the incredible experiences the university offers,” Piatt says. “I am inspired by this kind of support from caring alumni members like Allison, and we thank her for her generous gift that will help future generations of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students.”
Fox says she was attracted to supporting an ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Engagement Scholarship because of her own experiences as an undergraduate at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ. She studied abroad in Asia, which included stops in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Bali. She learned about the driving economic forces in those nations while also observing and absorbing the culture. She found it to be a rewarding experience that she wanted to share.
“I think that ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ has a wonderful study abroad program. I was fortunate to take part in it, and I wanted to make sure more people can take on those opportunities,” she says.
Fox’s interest in philanthropy began when she was a student at a boarding school in Massachusetts and continued at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ. Her endowment of an ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Engagement Scholarship served as a matching incentive gift for ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Day on March 5, 2019.
“ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Day is a great program to get the school and alumni to rally and give back to the university. It generates a lot of excitement,” Fox says.
About The ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ LEADS Campaign
The gift from Allison Fox is part of the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ LEADS Campaign. The university launched the public phase of the campaign on April 5. With a $250 million goal, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ LEADS is the largest fundraising campaign in the university’s history and will support four main funding priorities: scholarships for graduates the world needs, access to engaged-learning opportunities, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter and our iconic campus. To date, donors have contributed $168 million toward the overall goal.
Every gift to the university—including annual, endowment, and estate and other planned gifts—counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact, visit .