In a digital era filled with e-cards, text messages and social media posts, there are times when saying thank you is simply done best with a pen and piece of paper.

“My mother always told me that if you’re going to thank someone then you should do it the right way – through an honest hand-written note,” said Mitchell Robinson, a University of Delaware senior and recipient of the Pike “Helping Hand” Scholarship.

On Oct. 11, more than 500 UD students attended Gratitude Gala to write thank-you notes to the alumni, friends, parents, faculty and staff whose philanthropy has helped make dreams of attending college become a reality.

For sophomore Alisha Valdivia, recipient of the Whittington Family Scholarship, such support has helped her focus on classes by giving her the financial aid needed to avoid overly long hours at her two on-campus jobs. 

“When I got the notification that I received this scholarship, I was overwhelmed. It felt like I wasn’t the only person pushing for my success,” said Valdivia. “They didn’t have to do this for me, and I want them to know their support is not going to waste.”

Valdivia, a double major in marketing and management, was especially inspired to know that one of her donors, Marna C. Whittington, is the retired CEO of Allianz Global Investors Capital, a leading global investment company.

“She’s a woman supporting another woman. And if I ever meet her, I want to tell her how much I respect what she’s doing and look up to her as a woman in business,” said Valdivia. 

For sophomore Judy Yang, a double major in the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics and recipient of the John E. '87 and Jennifer Eckerson Scholarship, it was important that her card provide her donors with a sense of who she is.

“Even though we’ve never met, I feel like we have a bond. I mean, they are helping me through college,” said Yang. “I really tried to make my card personal so that they could get to know me a little bit.” 

Along with Robinson, Valdivia and Yang, there are hundreds of other students who receive financial support through donor supported funds like scholarships. Expressing thanks to these generous donors helps ensure these grateful recipients understand the legacy of giving that is so deeply rooted at UD.

“Gratitude Gala is just such a warm event. It’s about asking students to reflect on how philanthropy affects their lives, and letting donors know how valued their generosity is by the students they support,” said Nichole Wozniak, event organizer and associate director of donor relations.

After putting the final touches on their thank-you notes, students posed for photos that will be mailed with their cards. 

When donors open these cards later this fall, the hope is that they will feel a deeper connection to the students they support and understand the impact their gifts have made. At the same time, the students who wrote them will have gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of philanthropy and those who make it all possible, perhaps one day supporting a future Blue Hen in the way they have been supported.

About the Office of Development and Alumni Relations

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) engages donors, alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff and students in a lifelong relationship with the University and fosters a tradition of philanthropy to strengthen the University’s legacy as one of the great public institutions of higher education in America.

For more information, call 302-831-2341.

(Nadine Sabater is a University of Delaware graduate who received a bachelor’s degree in 2011 and a master’s degree in 2015.)