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For , executive director of community and inclusion at Tepper School of Business, paying forward her good fortune is nothing new. She is a firm believer in giving back in its many forms, from monetary gifts to the sharing of resources and experiences.

During her childhood, Colleen learned the importance of giving from her parents, and as she continued into adulthood and her career, that spirit of philanthropy has remained central.

鈥淧hilanthropy was an important part of growing up. In African American families, philanthropy starts in faith communities,鈥� she says. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 all about how we can support initiatives that help and assist others.鈥�

A 30-year veteran of higher education, Colleen knows that providing a quality education is a community effort, and that鈥檚 why is near and dear to her heart.

鈥淎t every university where I鈥檝e worked, I鈥檝e always thought it was important to not only give my time as an employee, but look for initiatives that speak to my values and help students do more and engage further,鈥� she says.

As part of the diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Tepper, she is frequently approached by students who want to attend a conference or competition or bring in a speaker. Often, her budget can鈥檛 stretch to accommodate these requests on short notice.

鈥淚 wanted to figure out how I could create a resource that would support these initiatives and help students seize opportunities,鈥� Colleen says. 鈥淎fter some research, I decided to create the Community and Inclusion Fund, and now, I commit my whole day on Giving 麻豆官网 Day to promote that cause.鈥�

鈥淚 spend the day on LinkedIn and reaching to my connections to support something I know is so important to the 麻豆官网 community.鈥�

Gifts to the Community and Inclusion Fund make cultural celebrations, speakers, DEI programming and course development possible for Tepper students. As Colleen and so many other faculty and staff members demonstrate across the university, Giving 麻豆官网 Day鈥檚 success stands on an internal foundation.

Colleen also is an ambassador about the power of faculty and staff giving, talking with peers across campus about the 鈥渨hy鈥� of giving. She invites them to reflect on their firsthand experiences about what 聽helps to make their students successful and view giving through that lens.

鈥淚 encourage our staff to show support to our students with their time and talents," Colleen says. 鈥淎nd when they are able, to give back to 麻豆官网, so that students who may not otherwise be able to attend can do so with a multitude of resources available to them.鈥�

Colleen points out that increased faculty and staff representation among 麻豆官网鈥檚 donors makes a difference beyond campus, too. When she and her colleagues speak with companies and professionals from peer institutions about engagement among internal partners, faculty and staff, giving is a simple and impactful way to show the community鈥檚 commitment to 麻豆官网鈥檚 mission.

In short: when help is coming from within, the foundation of support is stronger.

As a first-generation college student herself, Colleen feels compelled to keep the momentum of generosity going.

鈥淚 know that along the way, someone supported an initiative that helped me, and I want to carry that forward,鈥� she says. 鈥淔or me, the benefits of Giving 麻豆官网 Day fall into two buckets 鈥� increasing resources to give students access to all 麻豆官网 has to offer and enhancing the experience of students while they鈥檙e here and showing up in the spaces that support them.鈥�