Your Impact

Sienna does not take her education for granted. From Tijuana to San Diego to Boston, homelessness to Emerson College, her positive outlook and perseverance got her through it all. And while getting accepted to Emerson was one big step, getting scholarship aid was what made college—and Emerson—a reality. She is now in the Visual and Media Arts program at Emerson and strives to one day combine her artistry with public advocacy on behalf of homeless youth.

Elvis was one of 50 students in his class selected for the Honors Program at Emerson. Students are selected for the program based on their academic achievements, creative accomplishments, and demonstrated leadership, and are each awarded the Trustee Scholarship, which covers 50 percent of tuition. The proud son of immigrants, Elvis learned the value of financial well-being at an early age and may not have come to Emerson without the scholarship he worked so hard for.

Cassie didn’t have an easy journey through college, and it wasn’t because of her academics. Between financial and health issues, she had to fight her way through. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon. Getting into Emerson is just one feat; staying at Emerson is another, and too many students struggle due to financial situations.

College comes with challenges for anyone, no matter their socioeconomic background. But it can be especially hard for first-generation and/or low-income students who may not have the experience or resources to navigate everything that goes with attending college. That is why Anthony and Cassie co-created the student organization First Gen E-M.

The Robbins Center is the primary clinical training facility for Emerson students studying to become speech pathologists. It serves children and adults who have all different types of communication problems, including developmental and trauma related, deaf and hearing impaired, accent modification, and, most recently, services for transgender and gender diverse individuals. Philanthropic support for the Robbins Center is vital to not only sustain their state-of-the-art services and learning facility, but also to keep costs down for their clients that may not otherwise be able to access their services.

Emerson Polling is an interdisciplinary program at Emerson that for years has run one of the most highly regarded and accurate collegiate polls in the nation and participated in live political events, including the Iowa and New Hampshire caucuses. These experiences can be life-changing for students aspiring to launch careers in the political field. But not all students have the financial means to travel to these events. Giving makes it a possibility.