When Light the Way: The Campaign for Earned Achievement concluded on Dec. 31, 2025, it marked the triumphant end of a defining chapter for UNCG. With the support of 26,684 donors, the campaign raised $266,186,027 for the University – surpassing its initial goal by more than 33% to become the most successful campaign in UNCG’s history.
That success is already making its mark. By Spring 2026, more than 1,000 students had received scholarships created through the campaign, and thousands more will follow in the years to come.
Like the splash of a pebble, Light the Way’s impact continues to ripple outward to strengthen families, community members, employers, and the region itself.
“This campaign reflects the grit and determination of our University community,” says Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. “Launched amid a pandemic and sustained through significant headwinds in higher education, we remained nimble, steadfast, and focused on our mission. Our community, including our corporate partners, stood with us because they understand that the success of UNCG is deeply connected to the prosperity of the Triad.”
That connection is measurable. UNCG generates more than $1 billion in economic impact across the Piedmont Triad. Ranked No. 1 in North Carolina for social mobility by U.S. News & World Report, UNCG also continues to create a ladder to greater opportunity for current students and those who follow them.
26,684 Campaign Donors Would Fill…
HONORING THE PAST, CELEBRATING THE FUTURE
The commitment to students and to UNCG’s future came into focus on Founders Day 2021. Hundreds attended a campaign launch party at the Elliott University Center (EUC). They learned about our University’s history, Light the Way goals, and the campaign’s projected impact.
Chancellor Gilliam said that day, “For 130 years, UNCG has been teaching students to look forward, innovate, and break down society’s barriers – big and small. To continue on this path, we need to be bold, imaginative, and courageous. Our pursuit to transform students, knowledge, and the region is relentless. This campaign will light the way forward.”
Outside in the October sun, volunteers, including campaign co-chairs Susan Safran ’77 and Randall Kaplan spoke with students about the impact of philanthropy.
Students are always our “north star,” said Safran. Much of the support that empowers them, including scholarships, academic coaching, hands-on learning, and emergency assistance, was made possible or strengthened through Light the Way.
OPENING DOORS TO EXCELLENCE
Safran met Amelia Hanson ’25, one recipient of the prestigious Sloan Scholarship, endowed by Linda Fisher Sloan ’82 MFA and Thomas R. Sloan, that day.
Hanson says the scholarship allowed her to find her way to success. “I was from a small town, a couple of hours away from Greensboro. I was able to explore and learn more about myself and then dive into the Bryan School of Business and Economics. I loved every second of it.”
Music major Raven Sizemore ’24 – the very first Sloan Scholar – went on to become one of the three UNC System Presidential Scholars for the 2024-25 academic year. A Spartan through and through, Sizemore returned to UNCG and enrolled in the Master of Public Administration degree program.
Without this scholarship, I would have given up because I couldn’t have been able to do it financially.
— Irani Molina-Olmedo ’26
She was part of the class that faced the challenges of COVID-19. “I literally got my letter about receiving the Sloan Scholarship right before everything broke loose in 2020. We came, did hybrid classes, wore masks – and we made it through. By the time I got to my junior year, it really felt like I was having the college experience I’d heard about my whole life.”
Today, she notes philanthropy’s crucial role in her own story. “I’m living proof that donor generosity changes lives,” she says. “It creates opportunity, it restores hope, and it ripples outward in ways that donors may never fully see.”
CHAMPIONING RESILIENCY
Launched into the uncertainty of a global pandemic, the University remained focused on delivering an innovative, 21st-century education to every Spartan.
Alumni also stepped up to support UNCG in tough times. The Student Assistance Fund for Emergencies (SAFE), created by the Class of 1967 during their 50th reunion a couple of years earlier, became a rallying point during the pandemic for donors making gifts of all sizes. The fund provided a safety net for students who faced sudden, one-time needs that could jeopardize their ability to stay in school.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Cathy Akens said, “The SAFE fund allows our team to provide some relief to students who are experiencing food insecurity, housing insecurity, loss of income, a family crisis, and more. The generous gifts made by our donors will enable us to support more students and help eliminate roadblocks on their path to graduation.”
This fund continues to support today’s students. During the 2024-25 academic year, more than $48,000 was used to keep students in school.
The Minerva Rescue Grant was also created during Light the Way to help students weather unexpected storms by providing timely financial support to prevent withdrawal.
Simply put, UNCG donors rose to the occasion and met needs again and again throughout the campaign.
Growing Momentum in Giving
BOLD IDEAS AND A STRONG FOUNDATION
We achieved success by taking “Giant Steps” – the name of UNCG’s 2017-24 strategic plan.
As he spoke with alumni and the campus community in the early years of his tenure, Chancellor Gilliam used a metaphor alluding to the transformative impact of Guilford County native and jazz legend John Coltrane.
“His song wasn’t just called ‘Giant Steps,’ it made giant steps,” Gilliam told audiences. “The harmonic progressions it utilized were revolutionary for Western music. And with this song Coltrane changed the fabric of jazz.”
That concept of purposeful change helped guide what came next.
Surveys and focus groups of alumni and the campus community revealed the core traits of UNCG and its people: A roll-up-your-sleeves ethic. Real-world impact. Access to academic excellence. Those traits became the campaign’s pillars.
Access, excellence, and impact were the guiding lights of Light the Way. All campaign gifts supported one or more of those three things.
And the University continued to evolve as the campaign progressed.
UNCG’s academic mission is growing even stronger and more innovative, says Provost Alan Boyette. “There are important conversations happening on campus about ways we can better marry our research foci with learning opportunities for students that directly connect with promising career paths.”
That momentum is reflected in Forward Together, UNCG’s strategic plan introduced in 2024, which outlines the institution’s vision through the end of the decade.
The plan prioritizes student well-being and achieving the highest rates of degree attainment among our peer universities – getting students from underrepresented backgrounds into the middle class and beyond. It also aims to elevate faculty research and discovery, building on our strength in community-focused scholarship while forging new partnerships. And we’ll do this with operational excellence and responsible stewardship.
This plan is supported by the outpouring of investment in Light the Way.
Funds raised and pledged will expand student access to education, cultivate faculty excellence, and deepen the profound impact of Spartan programs.
While gradual change is natural, this campaign represents something more. Light the Way’s transformative impact has been achieved through bold vision and steely determination – and it has been built on a strong foundation of philanthropic support at UNCG.
Forging A TRADITION OF PHILANTHROPY
UNCG’s first comprehensive campaign, Prospectus III, launched in the 1980s with the mission of building a culture of philanthropy at the University. By its conclusion in late 1984, it had raised $13.5 million (about $34 million in today’s dollars) and sparked a renewed spirit of giving and community at UNCG. Then-chancellor William Moran understood the relationship between donor support and institutional success, saying, “Upon the success of the campaign depend the high aspirations of our University.”
The Second Century Campaign, co-chaired by Mike Weaver and Adelaide Holderness ’34, came on the heels of the campus’ centennial celebration. When it concluded in 1998, it had raised more than $55 million (in today’s dollars, more than $110 million), created 77 scholarships and fellowships, established seven distinguished professorships, and inspired more than 18,000 gifts.
The next campaign, Students First, concluded in 2009 after raising $115 million (roughly $175 million today). Co-chaired by Linda Carlisle ’72 and Norman and Sylvia Samet, the campaign enhanced student recruitment, supported those with the greatest need, and elevated faculty. Then-chancellor Patricia Sullivan laid out a goal that still resonates: “Our vision for the future of UNCG is to be a leading, diverse, student-centered research university that is a university of first choice for undergraduates and graduate students.”
That core vision has not changed. And with Light the Way building on these earlier efforts, the Spartan spirit of giving – of investing “time and treasure” into the University – has reached a new level.
GROWING THE CULTURE OF GIVING
From the outset, Light the Way sought to engage Spartans at every level by encouraging gifts of all sizes, from $5 to millions. The results tell the story of a community deeply invested in its own future:
- 58% of Light the Way donors were first-time donors.
- 3,738 donors were “graduates of the last decade” – young and recent alumni.
- People gave what they could – 85,505 gifts under $1,000 were given.
- 236 scholarships were created.
- 244 new program funds were created. These support specific goals or uses in designated academic, research, or operational programs.
- 12 new distinguished professorships were created – a 29% increase for the University.
- Over 60% of Light the Way donors were UNCG graduates.
“Alumni have played a powerful role in the success of this campaign,” says George Hoyle ’90, chair of the UNCG Board of Trustees. “They are deeply rooted in this region. Their impact is a testament to UNCG’s legacy, and their support of this campaign demonstrates the confidence we share in UNCG’s mission.”
One reason alumni stay involved is to “pay it forward.” Nearly 5,000 donors to Light the Way had been scholarship recipients at UNCG themselves.
Current, former, and retired faculty and staff were fully engaged as well, giving more than $25 million to support UNCG programs and Spartan students.
That commitment to both students and the fate of a campus is what makes UNCG faculty different, says Laura Pipe, director of the University Teaching and Learning Commons. “What I have learned at UNCG over any other place I’ve worked – and I have worked at some other institutions that are in our peer category – is that our faculty are here because our students are remarkable.”
The culture of care extends beyond financial support. “We are a community that believes in who we are,” says Vice Chancellor for University Advancement Beth Fischer. “Our motto is Service, and it is in our DNA.”
My favorite thing is to attend an event and see a former student. I love hearing how they look back on their time at UNCG, and hope that
— Burgin Ross ’74, ’08 MS
one day, they too can give back.
She notes that one of the campaign’s most meaningful outcomes has been strengthening the culture of philanthropy on campus. “From Blue, Gold, and Grateful Week to Believe in the G, we’ve created new traditions and helped students understand the way that donor generosity shapes their Spartan experience. We have incredible momentum, and we’re building on it.”
UNCG has also strengthened its volunteer leadership during Light the Way.
Burgin Ross ’74, ’08 MS volunteers because UNCG was instrumental to her personal growth.
“I graduated at a time when the country was at war, there was civil unrest, racial injustice, and a great deal of change happening in society. The campus was a ‘safe space’ to discuss what was happening, express opinions, and form adult values around world events. UNCG provided me with a high-quality education, along with life skills that made a difference.”
After a career as a registered dietitian/nutritionist, she reengaged with the UNCG community through professional organizations. “I felt valued as a graduate and began to think of other ways to give back,” she says. “Eventually, I was given the opportunity to teach in the Nutrition Department.”
Now retired from her faculty role, she still sees the same ideals in the UNCG community that first nurtured her as an undergraduate.
“I am proud of how UNCG has grown, how it has embraced diversity, and how everyone has a place at the table,” she says. “Serving on the HHS Alumni Leadership Council just feels right!”
Newest Names
Evensons fund educators
The largest gift in UNCG’s history will transform its School of Education and elevate Jewish Studies.
Music Makers
Connie Kotis ’65, ’77 MM, ’25 LittD (Hon) and her husband, Bill, have stood by this University for more than four decades.
Theater Troupers
Charlene Moskal-Burges, a 1961 graduate of Woman’s College, spent her life uplifting the arts.
AN ENDURING MARK ON CAMPUS
The impact of Light the Way will be seen for generations, perhaps most visibly through the new names of spaces and buildings around campus. Supporters of the University have literally put their names – or names of those who inspired them – on the map.
Last fall, the Marcus T. Johnson Alumni House was named in recognition of an alumnus’ extraordinary support and a historic campaign gift, celebrating UNCG’s past while looking to its future.
Events like the Red Carpet Reception, which honors graduates each semester, are hosted in its Oakley Family Reception Room, named in honor of another Light the Way gift. Betsy Oakley ’69, former chair of the Board of Trustees, has served the University in many ways, including as a leader of the Prospectus III campaign.
Pam and David Sprinkle’s generosity provided one of the first named spaces in the campaign, the Pam and David Sprinkle Theatre.
For David, it’s all about commitment. “Philanthropy to us is sharing not just our financial blessings, but all our blessings – our energy, our skills, our time, and our love of life. To those whom much is given, much is expected,” he says.
During Light the Way, 20 spaces on campus were named for alumni or by alumni.
These gifts have shaped the places where students study and work every day, each carrying a story behind its name.
The campus’ roots also give us inspiration.
In 2023, through the power of collective giving, the University installed the Woman’s College Tribute, anchored by the “Astera” sculpture. Woman’s College was the top public college for women in the nation, and its graduates continue to serve as beacons of light.
Many WC alumnae attended the Spring 2023 dedication. Betsy Oakley told those gathered on Stone Lawn, “The WC alumnae were bold pioneers. They were trailblazers. WC graduates have made an enormous impact on our region, our state, our nation, and indeed the world.”
That impact still resounds through the spirit of Light the Way.
IGNITING A NEW ERA FOR UNCG
At a campaign-closing event in March, Light the Way campaign co-chairs Randall Kaplan and Susan Safran, along with UNCG leaders, campaign torchbearers, and friends of the University, gathered to celebrate all that has been accomplished.
Thousands were on hand – many of them students who’d already benefited – to see those results written in the sky, the first drone light show in Greensboro’s history.
Kaplan summed up the campaign’s success. “Together, we have strengthened student access, advanced academic excellence, and expanded the impact of programs across the University. It is impossible to truly define the full reach of this effort.”
Safran, moved by the students’ cheers, looked ahead with unmistakable hope. “Nothing embodies the future more powerfully than our students,” she said.
Grad student created Scholarship for L.I.F.E.
Shameeka M. Wilson ’18, ’20 MEd established the Shameeka Monay Wilson Legacy in Furthering Education (LIFE) scholarship in 2019. This year’s recipient, Irani Molina-Olmedo, is grateful to be a Spartan.
Southern Guilford’s Natalia Fagundez ’25, Spartan inspirational educator
In her first year as an exceptional children’s teacher at Southern Guilford High School, Natalia Fagundez ’25 works to help students advance their math skills.
Jazz Scholar’s Jams Reflect Donor’s Gifts
As the only child of East Carolina University music professors, Cal Richardson ’26 grew up in a life steeped in classical music theory and composition.
Hodges Fellowship Makes Life-Changing Research Possible
For Cecil Barlow ’26, the Hodges Research Fellowship in Special Collections and University Archives at UNCG opened up a new area of research, a new set of professional skills, and a new understanding of UNCG’s University Libraries.
Daniel Rust puts Bryan School skills to work at Lenovo
Rust found his way to the Bryan School of Business and Economics thanks to his determination to attend the best school possible and become the person he envisioned: an exceptional problem solver that businesses want and communities need.
Spartan donor Tia Wiggins’ circle of success
Tia Wiggins ’07 once thought philanthropy was only for those who could look back on decades-long careers. Yet, at just 33, she established the Tia S. Wiggins Endowed Scholarship Fund, which has supported 13 students in UNCG’s Bryan School of Business and Economics since 2019. Those students are known as “Tia’s Circle.”
Giving is a home run at UNCG
Jeb Burns ’08 MEd and his wife, Molly, are committed to Spartan success. From philanthropic support of Spartan Athletics to University Libraries, their impact is wide.
Light the Way has been powered by torchbearers – people who recognize the importance of breaking down barriers and blazing new paths.
A community of 26,684 UNCG supporters demonstrated their belief in this University, in our students, in our excellence, and in the bright future we are building for the Triad and for North Carolina. Together, this community has strengthened student access, advanced academic excellence, and expanded the impact of programs across the University.