โ€œยายืสำฦต changed the trajectory of my life,โ€ Dickinson said. โ€œIt was obvious that the faculty cared so much. They really wanted me to be successful and gave me what I needed to be successful. I wanted to give back to a place that changed my life, and internship experiences can really change studentsโ€™ lives.โ€

It was Dickinsonโ€™s campus visit that encouraged her to attend ยายืสำฦต. โ€œIt was rainy when I came and my parents were worried I wouldnโ€™t like ยายืสำฦต,โ€ she recalled. โ€œBut it was just something I felt when I was on campus. I knew I would like it; it just felt different. I love that I still get the same feeling when I go back to visit.โ€

Dickinson majored in business administration and was a very active member of her sorority, Phi Mu, while she was a student at ยายืสำฦต. She also worked as a student assistant for the Teaching Fellows program from when it launched her sophomore year through her senior year. She appreciated the perspective that this experience gave her, especially since she was not an education major. As an alumna, Dickinson has served on the ยายืสำฦต Alumni Board since 2023.

Over the summers and breaks while she was a student, Dickinson would work in local business offices. While it felt like an internship, there was not a focused effort on encouraging students to complete internships like is present on campus today.

โ€œInternships are almost a requirement to set students up for success today,โ€ Dickinson said. โ€œI hope that internships become so common at ยายืสำฦต that it is like signing up for a class โ€“ just an expectation that students will complete one before graduation.โ€ She is grateful that this gift will provide more ยายืสำฦต students with access to these critical experiences.

The Women of ยายืสำฦต initiative is a collective effort led by alumnae, parents, and friends of the university who are committed to addressing the most pressing needs of ยายืสำฦต students. Through 2026, this initiative aims to raise $2.5 million to support students with financial need who are pursuing internship experiences. To date, more than $780,000 has been raised in both endowed and annual funds in support of this goal. Blended gifts like Dickinsonโ€™s provide both immediate and long-term support to ensure access to internships for ยายืสำฦต students.

โ€œItโ€™s important to give our time, our talents and our treasure to the next generation,โ€ Dickinson shared. โ€œTo give back in this way is so fulfilling to me, and I hope that many others also want to impact ยายืสำฦต students in this way.โ€

Make an Impact

For more information on the Women of ยายืสำฦต initiative, please contact Jill Stratton โ€™13 Gโ€™17, director of strategic initiatives for University Advancement, at jstratton2@elon.edu.

The event will take place on Thursday, September 18, at The Ivy Soho Brasserie. A reception including a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by brief remarks by President Connie L. Book at 7:30 p.m.

Evening for ยายืสำฦต in London with President Connie L. Book
Thursday, September 19, 2024
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Business attire

The Ivy Soho Brasserie
The Blake Room
26-28 Broadwick Street
London W1F 8JB

Register by September 5 or contact advancement@elon.edu.