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�鶹��Ƶ faculty and staff were recognized for their generosity at an event hosted by the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations on February 29 at the Fairfax Campus. The Faculty and Staff Appreciation Breakfast treated university donors to a French-themed breakfast and messages of gratitude for their contributions to the �鶹��Ƶ community.

“We invited you here today to express our appreciation for your generosity in leading the way and building a culture of philanthropy here at �鶹��Ƶ,” said Trishana E. Bowden, president of the �鶹��Ƶ Foundation and vice president for advancement and alumni relations.

Developing a community of giving is critical for the success of �鶹��Ƶ’s historic one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign that launched last April—�鶹��Ƶ Now: Power the Possible. The campaign focuses on themes that align with �鶹��Ƶ’s mission—student success, research, community, innovation, and stewardship.

Business major Rakibul Alam spoke to the faculty and staff audience and expressed deep appreciation for those who support students like himself. “I am filled with gratitude to all �鶹��Ƶ faculty and staff who give their time, talent, and treasure in support of me and my peers,” he said. “Receiving scholarship support has not only eased my financial burden but has also inspired me to strive for academic excellence.”

“�鶹��Ƶ is the university that changes lives,” said Lauren Wagner, assistant dean for student academic affairs in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “The beauty of �鶹��Ƶ being so young in years is that any amount of money I can give goes so far. The students that we graduate every semester are the ones who continue to define what �鶹��Ƶ is going to be for students who find it later.”  On April 4, faculty and staff will have an opportunity to help shape �鶹��Ƶ’s future during the university’s annual fundraising event—�鶹��Ƶ Vision Day. This year, donors will be asked to support the cause that matters most to them at �鶹��Ƶ.

At the breakfast event, it was all about celebrating �鶹��Ƶ’s champions of giving.

“We are going to continue to power forward, and we are going to continue to thank you in all the ways that are important,” said Bowden. “You make a difference every day in the lives of our students. You are doing major things and through your giving and support, you are powering the possible.”