Note: This message was originally sent on May 3, 2019
Due to the “can-do” spirit of numerous colleagues throughout the institution and the leadership of Mar/Comm, we can all be proud of what was pulled off yesterday as part of the “Mystery in McCarthey.” And, because of the hard, creative, diligent work of our enrollment/admission colleagues (great news this morning – congrats!), we were able to package a special story below to share with some of our scholarship donors this morning. I want to be sure each of you receive this, as well… enjoy…
We would like to share with you about something that happened on campus yesterday……hundreds of people gathered in the McCarthey Athletic Center to surprise one of our graduating seniors. Quick context…many of you might recall this story about Rick Clark from Christmas Eve 2017.
You will note from the story that when Rick was admitted to GU, he remembered receiving a special message in his admission letter: “They knew who I was, and in the admission letter (it said) they’ve been waiting for me,” Clark said. “If you would have told me before that I would be going to Gonzaga, I would have just laughed and cried.” Rick’s dream of attending GU became a reality because of the support he has received from many GU donor funded scholarships.
Well, yesterday, a lot more people were able to acknowledge Rick for the truly inspiring work he has done to help others. A national production/program (which we cannot name - yet!) surprised Rick with a big reveal on the main court of the McCarthey Athletic Center, by providing the non-profit he started, Giving Backpacks, with thousands of backpacks (packed full of helpful personal items) that will be distributed to the homeless. But the surprises did not stop there… to celebrate the phenomenal work that Rick does day in and day out, the production company also provided Rick with a check that will cover the balance of his student loans.
We are just a little over one week away from our 126th commencement ceremonies….2,163 degrees will be conferred…..AND just this week, hundreds of students finalized their plans and declared that they are Zags (forming our class of 2023). There are a lot of Rick Clarks about to make a big difference in this world, and we have a whole new batch preparing to arrive on campus this fall…what a wonderful constant circle. Thank you……that simple line “they knew who I was and they’ve been waiting for me” strikes at the heart of who we are at GU and who/what we are looking for in our students. Thank you for being very much at the heart of making stories like Rick’s a reality, over and over again. The world needs them, they need you… your understanding of this and commitment inspires others to follow your lead.
We cannot share the name of the show or the celebrity host (yet)….but this story will be told very broadly later this summer and will be a great moment of pride for all that Rick represents and for how the community of GU supported him in realizing his life’s work of helping others. We will keep you posted as details of distribution are shared.
PS – be sure to spend a few minutes here: make a big difference… outstanding examples which allows us to proudly brag about what we all do at GU. Thanks, mar/comm and storytellers!