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Meredith Celebrates Campaign Kickoff
Current and retired faculty/staff have contributed more than $1.3 million to the campaign, which has raised $22,051,284 (65.8 percent of its goal) during its quiet phase. When complete, the funds raised will increase Meredith's endowment to $80 million. Noting that The Campaign for Meredith is primarily "focused on people," President Maureen A. Hartford began the campaign kickoff celebration by recognizing campaign leadership who "have made the campaign a success to date, and will continue to make it the most successful campaign in Meredith's history."
Wall offered a look at what she called the three stages of her Meredith experience – as a prospective student, a student and an alumna. When choosing a college, Wall said she searched for a place where she could blaze her own path. Her female role models in her hometown of Concord, N.C., had one thing in common – a Meredith education. "The knowledge, skills and values gained or reinforced at Meredith became part of the foundation on which my adult life has been built," Wall said. "I am a firm believer in a well-rounded Meredith liberal arts education. The interplay of literature, history, math, science, religion, foreign language, art and even physical education gave me an education much richer than the sum of the parts and prepared me to face any intellectual or life challenge." "As an alumna, it is now my turn to give back," Wall said. She urged alumnae and friends to help Meredith continue to retain the values and focus on excellence that have always been at Meredith." At the end of the celebration, Campaign Tri-Chair Michelle Rich, '73, charged those in attendance to also give back. "We owe it to those who came before us, to ourselves, and most of all to the students here today and in the future," Rich said. One alumna who has already answered Rich's charge is Shepard Kimbrell Halsch, '85. Prior to the kickoff, President Hartford announced that Halsch has made a gift of $1,000,000 to the campaign. Halsch is a graduate of Meredith's business program. Her gift will fund a $500,000 endowment for the Undergraduate Research Program and a $500,000 endowment for the School of Business. The Campaign for Meredith is a six-year campaign to raise $33.5 million. The campaign began in 2001, and is now entering its public phase, which will last through June 30, 2007. Meredith College's largest previous campaign, which was completed in 1994, raised $11.8 million. The Campaign for Meredith will fund scholarships, expanded academic programs, faculty development and recruitment, undergraduate research, student leadership, Centers for Excellence and the School of Business, campus renovations and the College's annual fund. For more information on the Campaign for Meredith, visit www.meredith.edu/giving/ or call the Meredith College Institutional Advancement Office at 919-760-8374. 
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In the Classroom : Career Planning Seminar Amy Losordo, assistant director for career development and academic advising, teaches CPS 101. In this course, freshman and sophomores cover topics including exploring career options, gaining information about experiential learning opportunities and writing resumes. This course prepares students for CPS 301, taught by Dana Sumner, associate director of employer relations. CPS 301 is designed to assist juniors and seniors in relating their chosen academic majors to career fields through self-assessment and occupational exploration. Topics ranging from clarifying career goals, job search, resume writing and graduate school to interviewing, business etiquette, making a transition from student to professional and career issues for women are covered throughout the half semester. Sumner says there is sometimes a misconception that the career planning seminars are "fluff" courses because they are pass/fail classes. "CPS 301 is a very structured class with specific learning objectives that must be met in a short amount of time," Sumner says. "This class helps students stay on track to meet their career goals." Sumner says CPS 301 shows students that "career development is a lifelong process." "Each student creates an individual career plan based upon their specific goals - grad school, job search, etc. Additionally, specific skill building activities help students to develop marketing documents and strategies to obtain their goals," she says. Sumner feels this focus on goals is the most valuable part of this course. "Many students think about themselves last and say, 'I'll schedule an appointment with the Career Center when I have time.' This class forces you to make the time," says Sumner. For more information on CPS 101 or 301, contact the Career Center at (919) 760-8341 career@meredith.edu. Students Organize Breast Cancer Awareness Week Meredith students Renee Pequignot, '05, and Heather Ricks, '06, spent a week in October raising money and awareness about breast cancer. The goal for the project was to educate the Meredith community about breast cancer. "Breast cancer is something that can affect anyone at any time whether it is through a family member (male or female) or even themselves," Pequignot said. "Many of the people develop it even without prior family history." Pequignot and Ricks participated in the LeaderShape®Institute in May 2004. Their event, "Meredith Cares: Working Together for a Cure" Breast Cancer Awareness Week was held Oct. 11-15. Together, Pequignot and Ricks organized this week of awareness to accomplish their LeaderShape vision for breast cancer awareness. Items such as t-shirts, ribbons, pins, post-it notes and fun bags made from "Kool Aid"packets were sold all week to raise money. At the end of the week, approximately $4,000 was collected. On October 19, Tammy Guerin, Jan Morgan and Jill Wolford came to Meredith to speak about their experiences with breast cancer. During this event, Ricks and Pequignot presented $250 to a woman who presently battles with breast cancer. The remaining funds were donated to the Pay It Forward Foundation, a foundation that collects money and gives it directly to people who need it to cover the cost of operations, medicine and other cancer related bills. Ricks says that this experience made her very proud to be a Meredith student. "The Meredith community was wonderful. I met many wonderful women who showed their support for breast cancer awareness,"says Ricks. "They reached out and gave very unselfishly." For more information, contact the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development at (919) 760-8338.
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On October 21, a celebration was held to mark the kick-off of The Campaign for Meredith, the largest fundraising campaign in Meredith College history.
Meredith alumna Silda A. Wall, '80, delivered the keynote address. Wall is president of Children for Children Foundation (CFC), a not-for-profit organization she co-founded in 1996. She and her husband, New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, have three daughters, ages 10, 12 and 14, who are actively involved in CFC programs.