How can you show your appreciation for a school that has so dramatically changed your life? Should you post on the Facebook admissions page? Write a thank-you note? According to Sadé Idera, all it takes is the simple act of giving back.
Sadé, a sophomore Psychology student with a minor in Policy and Management Pre-Law, is a member of a newly-formed committee on campus called Proud to be Plaid. This committee, created by President Subrah Suresh at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, has one defining goal – to unify Carnegie Mellon and make our degrees hold more worth by raising undergraduate donation rates. This important factor is directly correlated to CMU’s ranking among other national universities in magazines like Forbes and Newsweek.
While Carnegie Mellon received donations from only 5% of students during the 2013-2014 school year, other universities, including Washington in St. Louis and MIT, had over 80% donations. What matters, according to Sadé, is not the amount donated, but the number of people who donate. “If we all work together,” she explains, “this is an accomplishable goal that has tremendous effects and benefits for Carnegie Mellon.”
Sadé joined Proud to be Plaid in the spring semester of her freshman year. Her duty as a member of the organization is to inform the CMU student body about its many benefits, as well as to collect donations. To further the goals of Proud to be Plaid, she has received 100% donations from the seniors in her sorority, Delta Gamma. Other members of the committee come from all aspects of campus life, including the School of Drama, the School of Computer Science, and many Greek and non-Greek organization.
“I’m very proud to go to CMU,” Sadé says, “being part of such a talented and hard-working community is important to me. So when I was approached to be part of a pioneering committee that works towards helping CMU gain the national recognition it deserves, I was more than 100% on board.
Connie Yang, Chair of Proud to be Plaid, informed Sadé about CMU’s current alumni donation rate compared to other top-notch schools. “I was astonished and motivated to do something to change this,” Sadé says, “one small step at a time.”
With Proud to be Plaid, each individual who donates money is investing a dollar or more towards his or her future, triggering a chain reaction of events such as school pride and national recognition. “We are trying to establish a culture of being proud to go to CMU through donating a dollar or two back to the organizations we are passionately involved in,” Sadé explains, “whether it be my sorority, Delta Gamma, or the CMU Scholarship Fund or any organization on campus.”
Sadé has selflessly contributed her time and effort to Proud to be Plaid, and to improving the general culture of CMU and the well-being of its students. Her generosity and hard work are already showing, as many seniors, including each senior from her sorority, have already begun giving back to the university. When Sadé isn’t hard at work collecting donations for Proud to be Plaid, she’s also a research lab assistance, a member of Sustainable Earth and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Delta Gamma’s representative for Relay for Life. In her spare time she schools boys on the basketball court. Be on the lookout for Sadé around campus and make sure to donate to this wonderful organization!