Eastern Michigan University Alumni Insight With Amy Wilson

Why give?

I gave to EMU because we are in the middle of an economic recession. This recession has made me pay more attention to what my spending priorities are. When I looked at my spending I saw that I spent a lot on things that I didn't really value but I also realized there were some things I did value but wasn't supporting--like EMU. I think about how much of an impact my professors had on me (Cecilia Infante, Dennis Grady Patrick and Ray Quiel in particular) and I know that EMU's ability to recruit and keep talented professors like them depends on alumni like me stepping up. I always tell people how great the professors were at EMU, how much I appreciated the quality of instruction as well as the opportunity to learn in a university setting that was truly diverse--giving to EMU lets me put my money where my mouth is.

Why EMU?

Like many students at Eastern I was a "non-traditional", transfer student. Even though on the surface I transferred for economic reasons, the eventual and true value I found at EMU was academic.

The teachers I had at EMU made an incredible impact on me--people like Dennis Grady Patrick, Cecilia Infante and Ray Quiel. These were professors who were both experts in their fields and skilled teachers. Their dedication went above and beyond what was required.  After our writing class ended, Cecilia Infante opened her home to a group of students and she spent the summer meeting regularly with us to help us become better writers. That kind of dedication and genuine concern for learning exemplifies what makes Eastern a unique place.

I've spent most of my career in sales and academic fundraising; I now work as an annual giving fundraiser for Connecticut College, a small liberal arts college in New London, Connecticut. Being a fundraiser is predicated on powerfully persuasive communication--whether in written or oral form--and I'm profoundly thankful for the education I received at Eastern, which prepared me so well for this career.

If you feel like Amy and want to give back to EMU, click here.