STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
by Justin Ball i
T'S BEEN 11 YEARS SINCE I ENTERED Carson-Newman College, just three months aſter my broth-
er walked across the stage as a first generation college gradu- ate. Like many freshmen, I really never stopped to think about how I came to be where I was. My brother and I were expected to attend and graduate college and we never really questioned that expectation. We simply graduated high school, searched exhaustively for the right college fit, and fortunately found just what we needed just a few miles down the road from our home- town in Newport. It took some time before I realized what made this experience possible.
Following graduation, I received a phone call, one that continues to impact my life. A college friend informed me of a position with Carson-Newman's Admissions Office and asked if I was in- terested. Before long, I was walking students through the ap- plication process and proudly introducing them to the traditions of my alma mater.
Aſter six years, I moved from Admissions to Advancement as director of Annual Fund (AF). As I began working with alumni and friends of the University, it didn't take long to confirm my belief that Carson-Newman alumni are among some of the most loyal and passionate anywhere. One trend concerned me, how- ever, and that was the declining alumni giving percentage. This percentage had dipped to around seven percent, below the na- tional average of around ten percent. My experience and time here would not let me believe that this was representative of the men and women of Mossy Creek.
Our office has made it a priority to increase our alumni giving percentage because we believed this low number represented a disconnect between the University and some of her alumni. The old addage, "Out of sight, out of mind" explains how I think this
22 JOURNEY fall 2011