Maya Sherlick ‘27, Sam Morris ‘25, Maddie Vandeberg ‘25, Charlene Murima ‘27, Godwin Idowu ‘27 and Wisdom Akanwe ‘27 in the Phonathon Room.
Charlene Tariro Murima ’27 was happy to reach a person in her recent shift as a “phonathon” caller with Kenyon’s Advancement Division. As a student employee of the outreach program, she and her fellow Phonathon workers combine to call roughly 200 alumni and parents by phone each shift to share news from Gambier, update their contact information and ask them to give to the Kenyon Fund, which supports every aspect of life on the Hill.
Paul Hamann ’92 is just one alum who looks forward to seeing the 740 area code pop up on his screen. “I light up, settle in, and say ‘Hello, Kenyon!’ Rosa last year, and Charlene and Maya this year, were great to talk to; it's a great annual shot-in-the-arm for me,” he said.
“I like it as a way to touch base with Gambier when I'm far away enough that regular visits aren't feasible. I feel like they link me back to campus, and I enjoy that.”
The program has been in existence for more than three decades and has added texting in recent years. Last academic year, the student workers made 5,124 calls resulting in 308 pledges and credit card gifts totaling nearly $60,000 for Kenyon. The program is just one piece of efforts to raise the nearly $6 million required each year to bridge the gap after tuition and endowment revenue, and every call and gift helps. In addition, these students work with their peers to celebrate generosity on campus and elevate the role philanthropy plays in every student’s experience.
Hamann is undoubtedly more attuned to the program than many, who may not know or anticipate speaking to a current Kenyon College student on the other end. The students have learned to shake off the grouchy calls and hang-ups. While some calls may be unexpected, there are also moments of genuine Kenyon connection across the area codes and decades, as Hamann can attest. “I love my call from Kenyon!”