Bake sales are a common occurrence at Adelphi University, but last month brought a slightly different sight to the University Center lobby, where student groups frequently set up their fundraisers for a variety of noble causes.
Twenty-one first-year students commanded five tables for an extensive bake sale, complete with fliers, a microphone and a Prezi presentation running in the background. Their goal? To raise $2 per minute for four hours, adding up to $480—enough money to fund a year of education for four girls in Cambodia.
The students are part of a first-year seminar called Becoming Human, taught by Diane Caracciolo, an associate professor in the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education. The class consists of a variety of interactive exercises designed to help students think critically about the world in which they live.
Funds raised from this project go to Girls Be Ambitious, a program facilitated by World Assistance for Cambodia which incentivizes education for low-income girls. The class fundraiser was initiated in 2012 when a student proposed Girls Be Ambitious as a potential social action project. Subsequent classes have raised sufficient funds to maintain an annual sponsorship for four girls, three of whom have been continually sponsored since 2012.
This year’s fundraiser was coordinated by Caley Serin and Aysa Mahoney, with the assistance of several other students who make up the Social Action Team. Serin described why this project was so important to her. “We’re helping others get the education that we at Adelphi have already had,” she said.
Natalie Sequeria, another member of the Social Action Team, showed a flier with pictures of the sponsored girls. “I like that we know exactly who our money is going to help,” she said. Both students said they hope to continue working on projects like this in the future.
It was clear that students were drawn to the fundraiser by the enthusiasm of the class and the importance of the cause. “A cause like this asks so little from us but can literally alter the lifestyle of an entire family,” said senior Rebecca Endres.
The class surpassed its initial fundraising goal after just two hours, but their excitement kept bringing in donations. Their total was nearly $800, making it the most successful fundraiser in the history of the Becoming Human class.
Sophia Conti is a senior Adelphi University anthropology major.
