Whitman School Launches Whitman Leadership Circle to Support Students, Faculty and Transformation of the Educational Experience

Merit scholarships that retain top first-year students. Fellowships that allow faculty to pursue their interests and bring emerging knowledge back into the classroom. Funding for students to participate in experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom. Physical improvements to the Whitman School.

These are examples of the impact that has come from the newly launched Whitman Leadership Circle (WLC), a philanthropic giving society created to transform the educational experience by harnessing the power and support of the Whitman School community.

The WLC allows alumni, parents and friends to directly support Whitman through multi-year leadership commitments. In return, WLC members receive a personalized stewardship experience that includes special recognition to thank them for their generosity and continue to enhance their commitment to Whitman.

“The launch of the Whitman Leadership Circle coincides with an exciting transformational time in our history,” says Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “The energy around the Whitman School is palpable, as we have seen our rankings reach the highest level in over 15 years, and, more importantly, have witnessed our students and faculty continue to succeed in the classroom, in their careers and in their communities.”

This official roll-out of the WLC comes one year after the Whitman School restructured its advancement and external engagement team, including the hire of Assistant Dean of Advancement and External Engagement Michael Paulus. The team’s goal over the past year has been to recharge alumni, parents and others to raise the level of support for Whitman through new strategies and initiatives. The WLC targets three essential pillars at the Whitman School: enhancing the student experience, providing faculty support and improving the learning environment and facilities.

Commitments to the WLC begin at $25,000 ($5,000 per year over five years) and can be designated to any restricted or unrestricted fund, ensuring a connection to the area each donor chooses to support. The program’s six levels of commitments extend up to $1 million or more.

“As I have had the opportunity to meet with more alumni, parents and other supporters, I am struck by the important role Whitman has played in their lives and how much they value it as such a special place,” says Paulus. “The goal of the WLC is to harness that value into outstanding programs, as well as initiatives that make Whitman stand out and ensure that students continue to get the best educational experience in and outside of the classroom.”

To date, 75 donors have been recognized as WLC members, including 36 who have pledged their support in the last ten months during the silent phase of the initiative, generating over $4.9 million in new support for Whitman.

The reasons behind member giving run the gamut, but at its core this generosity expresses gratitude for a Whitman education and the opportunities that stemmed from the experience.

Camila Neuhaus ’24, a financial analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co., decided to continue her family’s legacy of giving through a pledge to the Whitman Retention Scholarship.

“As a Latina woman, I knew it was going to be very competitive in the professional world, so I soaked up all the knowledge and opportunity I could at Whitman to give myself a fair advantage, “I wish I could go back to my younger self and tell her that she would graduate with the connections I have now, the respect I have gained, the job I got and the things that I have accomplished that I never thought I could. My hope is that my pledge will help other students have the ability to accomplish similar dreams,” says Neuhaus.

Third-generation Syracuse University alumna Jennnifer Kreischer ’88, director of operations and finance due diligence at accounting firm Kreischer Miller, directed her gift to the Whitman School of Management’s Dean’s Fund. “My professors left a profound impact on me and helped me envision what I could actually be doing in a career in accounting,” she says. “That’s why it’s important to me to support the Dean’s Fund, so that today’s students can have the opportunity to seek out all the options available to them.”

Edward G. Hoofnagle ’90 and his wife decided to pay forward the current value of a scholarship that he received in the late 1980s from Junior Achievement to attend the University. They pledged a current gift to the Whitman School, creating the Edward G. Hoofnagle ’90 and Julie Hoofnagle Scholarship for financial assistance to undergraduate Whitman students, and then signed a second pledge to create an endowed scholarship.

“I think as you get older, you have a greater perspective for what something like a scholarship can do to keep you on a track for success,” says Edward. “I wanted to make sure I was expressing my gratitude. As we got into a position to give, Julie and I decided to fund this scholarship to express our appreciation.”

To learn more about opportunities to make an impact through the Whitman Leadership Circle, visit whitman.syracuse.edu/WLC