Editor’s Note: The author, Tristan Perkins, is a member of the 1634 Society.
The 1634 Society, a Georgetown University student organization centered on Hoya traditions and student philanthropy, called on students to donate $1 from April 8 to 24 to raise money for student scholarships in its ninth annual One for Georgetown campaign.
One for Georgetown seeks to promote the importance of scholarships on campus by encouraging underclassmen involvement in philanthropy. The campaign asks first-year, sophomore and junior students to make a $1 gift to support undergraduate scholarships and for senior students to donate to the Senior Class Fund, which helps plan events for their class through philanthropy, in exchange for free food from an assortment of vendors
Alyssa Wang (CAS ’25), president of 1634 Society, said she has volunteered at multiple One for Georgetown campaigns and feels that this year’s campaign is the strongest edition yet.
“The most rewarding aspect of being president of the 1634 Society is just the people that I have the privilege of working with every day. It is a lot of utilizing each other’s strengths and coming together with different perspectives to make something good happen,” Wang told The Hoya.
Ashley Soria-Cardoza (CAS ’27) donated to One for Georgetown and said that she could feel the impact scholarships have on college students throughout the two-and-a-half-week campaign.
“Over the last two weeks, One For Georgetown has made a memorable connection within the student body and a philanthropy of giving. By creating such an accessible and rewarding donation, the student body has had the opportunity to be a part of something larger. Together we have gathered for a collective cause allowing us to feel involved,” Soria-Cardoza told The Hoya.
One for Georgetown works to wield the power of synthesized philanthropic efforts as students work to reach a specified donation amount. This year, the challenge gift donor from the Class of 1991 has promised to donate $100,000 to student scholarships if One for Georgetown achieves 1,789 student donors.
Wang said direct interaction with the alumni donor has been critical in inspiring her work on the campaign.
“As president, it’s also been really rewarding this year to work with our alumni donor for scholarships of our challenge gift of $100,000,” Wang told The Hoya. “We all got to meet him, the alumni donor, and also being able to meet alumni first hand and see face-to-face how proud of us they are to see so many students engaged with philanthropy on campus and being supportive of us even though they already left Georgetown; it’s just been super rewarding.”
“One for Georgetown spreads awareness for student scholarships with the reward of free food for two and a half weeks for students who participate,” Wang added.
Wang said that as of April 16, One for Georgetown is ahead of their participation goal and hopes to surpass the donor goal of 1,789 generously. The year prior, the 1634 Society reached 1,823 donors by the end of the campaign.
Sarah Kidd (CAS ’26), marketing chair of 1634 Society, said the campaign has made a significant impact on her, compelling her to continue to work with the 1634 Society.
“I wasn’t a part of 1634 Society last year, so this was actually my first year and my first semester on the board,” Kidd told The Hoya. “I personally love being in the club because I feel like so many of the clubs at Georgetown are so self-serving, and this is a club that you really get to benefit others, and it is working towards something greater than yourself.”
Soria-Cardoza said that she has grown to appreciate and partake in philanthropy throughout the last two weeks thanks to the hard work and dedication of members of the 1634 Society.
“Overall I just love how the excitement the Georgetown student body has reciprocated to this idea of donation, which in the end will be received by our very own student body,” Soria-Cardoza said.
“We are here to help each other out and the Georgetown community has shown that together we can be the difference in our community,” she added.
