April 15, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Dakota State University.

At some point or another, we have all faced a financial burden.

Whether it’s choosing to pay rent, buy groceries or pay medical bills, having financial burdens is a reality that no one wants to face.

Now, imagine you’re attending college, and suddenly, you have to face financial burdens similar to the above – or worse.

What would you do?

For college students in particular, financial burdens wreak havoc on their academic performance, impact their physical and emotional well-being, lower their GPA and even prevent them from graduating.

But what if there was a way to alleviate these financial burdens? What if, for one day, donors, friends and family all came together to raise money for students?

With DSU Giving Day, Dakota State University will Rise UP to raise money for student scholarships.

“Giving Day is about bringing everyone together. No matter your ties to DSU, this is a day where we work collaboratively to support DSU students,” said Jon Schemmel, vice president for institutional advancement and director of the DSU Foundation and Alumni Association.

The 24-hour scholarship fundraiser first took off in 2019 and gives donors, alumni and friends an opportunity to get involved with Dakota State and have a little fun, no matter where they live. Giving Day also supports the mission and vision of President José-Marie Griffiths, which is honoring the past and rising to the future.

With the mission and vision of Griffiths and the support of Giving Day, Trojans have the ability to secure a scholarship, making a Dakota State education affordable for students from all walks of life.

Scholarship support also goes far beyond that as it further benefits students by lessening loans needed to complete their education, giving them more time to focus on studies and teaching them the essence of philanthropy in the hopes they’ll give back one day.

It also can play a role in a student’s decision to attend Dakota State.

“Scholarship support is crucial for our future as it will allow us to keep up with program growth and help us recruit and retain the best and brightest minds. It will also help others business grow” Schemmel said.

And because the university had to postpone last year’s Giving Day because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dakota State is looking forward to this year’s Giving Day on April 21.

The goal this year?

Rise UP and raise $75,000 for student scholarships.

“While the need for student scholarships at Dakota State never abated, we wanted to respect the situation that many were in during the pandemic,” said Carrie Slaathaug, director of alumni and family engagement. “We are looking forward to better times, and these students are looking to their futures. We have the ability to help them get there.”

This year’s Giving Day, however, is giving donors a bigger voice and platform because it’s offering them an opportunity to donate in an area they’re passionate about or an area in which they’ve made a significant connection.

Areas include Trojan athletics, graduate studies and any of DSU’s four colleges: College of Education, College of Arts & Sciences, College of Business & Information Systems and The Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences.

Giving Day also will host several campuswide challenges to demonstrate a campus of unity and further impact students. Running totals for each college as well as athletics will be displayed on the website to invite friendly competition to see who is in the lead.

The support for Trojan education also will be displayed in an exciting 50-state challenge.

“We’ve had students from all 50 states walk on our campus, not to mention the numerous other countries that have been represented here. Those students have become alumni, and their friends and families are spread out in at least every state and many countries,” Slaathaug said. “Our 50-state challenge hopes to highlight that disbursement by displaying the states where our DSU Giving Day donors live.”

Leave a lasting impression on current and future Trojans. Rise UP to support DSU!

For information, please visit givingday.dsu.edu.