Trevor Baisden ’12
Each of us has passions that capture our attention and inspire action, especially as recent Rochester graduates who are ready to explore our future, professionally and personally! As an educator, my passion has always been fulfilling the promise of an excellent education for every child growing up in the United States.
Every day, I make a promise to the students and families that I work with, regardless of their race, gender, class, or creed, that each and every one of them has the ability to achieve their deepest ambition through education. It is because I believe so deeply in the power of this promise, and securing it for each of my students, that I choose to give back to the University of Rochester each year.
I believe there is no better way to guarantee opportunity in our country than to support the institutions that educate our youth. Am I paying my own student loans each month, because not so long ago, I was one of these students myself? Of course.
I am also one of the more than 80% of Rochester alumni that pays a little bit less each month toward student loans, because of the generous contribution of alumni before me. My gift is a single contribution to undergraduate scholarships, and in an amount that I can afford as a working young alumnus, but it is still a powerful commitment to ensuring that the educational opportunity I was afforded will be there for my own students in the years to come.
Perhaps supporting continued undergraduate scholarships is not the issue that most inspires you, and that’s OK! A Rochester graduate is one who was able to deeply pursue individual interests as a student, and the University continues to foster the pursuit of your unique passions in philanthropy. Make a choice to support your own passion, the thing you most hope future classes of students will enjoy as undergraduates. But commit to making that choice. Commit to giving back. Join me in ensuring that the University we all gained so much from will continue to support the next generation of young students.