Undergrads Set New Giving Records

The undergraduate class of 2011 has much to celebrate: Not only have students earned their Haas degrees, but they have set new records with their Senior Gift Campaign.

This year 58 percent of the senior class raised more than $14,000, a new record. That represents an increase of $3,000, or 28 percent, compared with last year, due in part to a 3 percent increase in class participation. The class also set a new record with 23 students joining the Haas Leadership Society by giving $250 or more.

Thanks to several challenge matches, the final amount raised by the campaign totaled more than $51,000.

“The undergraduate class of 2011 raised the bar in demonstrating its commitment to giving back to Haas,” says Katherine Manning, senior gift and annual campaign assistant.

The senior gifts were matched by the UC Berkeley Trustees’ New Alumni Challenge and a special joint gift from alumni leader Brad Howard, BS 79, and Dean Rich Lyons, BS 82. Cal grads Paul and Stacy Jacobs announced an additional class of 2011 match at commencement, effectively quadrupling the senior gifts. Jacobs, BS 84 and PhD 89 (Engineering), is CEO of Qualcomm; his wife earned her bachelor's in the College of Letters and Science in 1984 and a doctor of optometry (OD) from the School of Optometry in 1989.

The 2011 campaign committee was led by chairwoman Yuliya Sas. Cathy Benavides, Xiwen Wang, Victoria Perepelitsa, and Nadia Asoyan also served on the committee.


Senior Gift Campaign Chairwoman Yuliya Sas presents Dean Rich Lyons with a check to celebrate the undergraduate class of 2011's record-setting fundraising.

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