Georgia State University recently held the closing celebration for the Burning Bright fundraising campaign. The event was held Nov. 1 at the newly purchased Georgia State Stadium, formerly known as Turner Field. The celebration marked the surprisingly early conclusion of Georgia State’s five-year fundraising initiative.
About 300 guests attended the event. The guest list consisted of donors, their spouses and university officials.
The event began with guests entering the stadium on a royal blue carpet. Each guest was greeted by members of The 1913 Society, undergraduate students that “serve as official hosts and goodwill ambassadors for the university.”
Once inside the stadium, guests took the elevator to the field level and walked through a timeline of milestones throughout the duration of the Burning Bright Campaign. At the end of the visual timeline, guests continued to walk the royal blue carpet onto the field.
The main event took place under a large banquet tent that spanned between each 30-yard line. The tent housed the main stage, dining tables, and multiple buffet and bar options.
Guests were treated to a number of speakers throughout the evening. The first attendees on stage were the immediate past and present Georgia State University Foundation Board Chairs, Deepak Raghavan and Donna Lee. Brad Ferrer and Cathy Henson, Burning Bright co-chairs, provided overall highlights and accomplishments made during the campaign.
After a short break, State Farm representative Kristyn Cook-Turner spoke of the contribution State Farm made during the campaign that allowed Georgia State University to provide 50 full scholarships to Georgia State’s two-year Perimeter campus degree program.
At DeKalb High School, 14 students who applied for the scholarship were placed in a room and under the impression that the number of scholarships being awarded was limited. Every student there received a scholarship.
Georgia State University President Mark Becker introduced three students to speak about their experiences at Georgia State. While each student shared a different story, one common factor united them: each is a recipient of the GSU Foundation Scholarship.
Speaker Josh King said, “It’s a real honor to be able to look at someone who has literally gifted you with support and to thank them face-to-face. Gratitude is one of the most sincere and genuine interactions you can have with someone and being able to show how grateful I am for the donors and what they’ve done not only for myself but for my friends and other students as well was truly a heart-warming experience.”
Once the students finished speaking, Pete Petit, Chair of the Burning Bright Campaign, took the stage to express his gratitude of the success of the campaign. Petit also detailed his experiences while chairing for the Foundation Board.
To signal the end of the event, President Becker and Angie Allen, a member of the campaign steering committee, took the stage. The pair thanked donors for their contributions and prepared to announce the final amount of money that had been raised as a result of the campaign.
Initially, the campaign was supposed to last until the end of 2019.
According to Vice President of Development Walter Massey, “The campaign goal was reached in February of 2018.”
Becker insisted that the campaign end early so that Georgia State could celebrate such an accomplishment. This would be the first celebration of this caliber in university history.
As Becker and Allen announced the figure, it was simultaneously displayed across all stadium screens. The Burning Bright Campaign had raised $322,142,606, surpassing its goal of $300,000,000.
The evening concluded with a grand firework show above the stadium.
Chandler Brown, the director of presidential communications, said, “The event was a huge success, mostly due to the many amazing students who were highlighted throughout the night.”
The $322,142,606 raised will go to fund many different initiatives outlined in the Burning Bright Campaign. Each of Georgia State’s academic colleges will receive funding.
In addition to funding for each academic college, the funds raised as a result of the Burning Bright campaign will also fund the continuation of student success initiatives, transforming the downtown campus and providing scholarships for students.
Two of the major success programs that have allowed Georgia State University to stand out on the national level are the Panther Retention Grant and the use of predictive analytics to increase student success.
The Panther Retention Grant provides a small micro-grant for students who are near graduation and face unexpected financial hardship. The average amount of money given per micro-grant is $900.
Georgia State also uses predictive analytic data to measure and keep track of each student’s daily progress. If a student becomes “at risk,” the system sends an alert to an academic adviser. The next day, a one-on-one meeting is scheduled with an adviser to ensure the student stays on the path to success.
Along with an increase in graduation and retention rates, students and faculty can expect to see some major changes to the landscape of the Atlanta campus. The most important aspect of the plan involves the demolition of Kell Hall in order to transform the Library Plaza area into a campus greenspace.
The final investment comes in the form of providing scholarships to new students at Georgia State University. The money generously provided by numerous donors will ensure that students from all backgrounds can enjoy the everchanging campus and increased overall success of the university.