linda-peterson

Because when I was a student here, I was inspired by a Community Studies project that made me reach outside myself and become involved in the community. UCSC laid the groundwork for the person I’ve become today.

Giving is a powerful thing. It’s a way to reach out a hand, memorialize for all time the name of someone beloved, or ensure that future generations have a chance to succeed and make the world a better place.

Giving can transform lives, advance research, and protect and enhance the treasures on the UC Santa Cruz campus. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of you for your generous gifts that sustain and elevate our university.

Truly, you are stepping up to help us “feed the Slug.” And, as you can see from this issue of Profiles in Giving, there are countless ways to make a difference. Every gift counts—and every dollar that goes toward the $300 million Campaign for UC Santa Cruz has a story behind it. As of this writing, we’ve raised $170 million and counting!

In these pages, you’ll read about the stories and people behind the gifts, including:

The beloved campus landmark that donors, with help from students, are reviving—once again providing a place on campus to gather, learn, enjoy performances, or simply take a break with a good book.

The professor whose work will be immortalized in two gifts that boost the programs that were his lifetime endeavors.

The woman who was raised in rural poverty, in a house without running water, but whose belief in the power of education compelled her to ensure her grandchildren—all first-generation college students—always had the books they needed.

The proud group of UCSC staff retirees who have stepped up to help student military veterans on campus.

These are stories of selfless giving—gifts of the heart, of the soul, of the mind, that will live on forever in the generations of students to come. These gifts are propelling UC Santa Cruz forward, to its next level of achievement. We hope you are inspired and touched by these stories.

Also, visit our extended online version of Profiles in Giving, where you’ll learn about the dedicated donors helping UCSC’s internationally renowned Dickens Project and its Dickens Universe thrive and survive far into the future, and the fundraiser to protect the campus’s unique International Playhouse and the wonderful work of its founder, Miriam Ellis.

—Linda Peterson (Stevenson ’70)
UC Santa Cruz Foundation Trustee
Chair, The Campaign for UC Santa Cruz
Los Angeles