By Elizabeth “Izzy” Reel ’21, ’25MLD
A new year means new goals. As many students have rolled through the front gates over recent weeks, they are planning their schedules and their intentions for the academic year. Just like other institutions, SMWC has new goals of its own. Coming off of a very exciting fundraising year, you can feel the excitement on campus and within the Woods family. Can you remember what it was like when you were a student? The feeling of rolling through The Avenue, setting up your course schedule. Perhaps memories of walking to the dining hall come to mind. Each of us has our own experience…our Woods experience.
Many of you might be asking – does giving through money, time or talents really make a difference at The Woods? Does it impact the Woods experience of a student now? The answer is simple – yes, it does! When students look around campus, they see the everlasting impact of our alumni and donors as they create their own path, in addition to carry on the legacy of our foundress, Saint Mother Theodore Guerin.
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin once said, “Profit by the experiences of the past, for the future.” For almost two centuries, SMWC has continued to mentor and form strong individuals to go out and change the world, and we are far from being finished. If there is anything that Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College has witnessed this year, it is seeing that students want to be a part of The Woods, and our alumni and donors want to invest in its future.
As a proud alum from the Class of 2021, and most recently the Class of 2025, I invite you to join me in making a difference in the lives of current Woods students. You can make your gift by going to giving.smwc.edu. Thank you for your continued support in the mission of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
- To make your gift, visit giving.smwc.edu
- To fulfill your pledge, visit giving.smwc.edu or call 888-769-0013
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A proud alumna of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, Elizabeth “Izzy” Reel ’21, ’25MLD started her career in higher education in February 2022. Reel graduated from SMWC in 2021 with a bachelor’s in professional writing and completed a marketing minor. She was humbled and honored to receive the Undergraduate Alumni Leadership and Service Award in 2021 and to receive the Graduate Alumni Leadership and Service Award in 2025, after earning her MLD from the College. She is the first two-time winner of the award. In addition to her love for The Woods, she enjoys being involved in the community, coaches high school soccer and loves spending time with family and friends.