’Canes All In with back-to-school alumni challenge

As students return on August 22, University of Miami alumni are celebrating a new academic year by going all-in on student success in this weeklong giving challenge.
girls jumping big u

As our ’Canes head back to school on Aug. 22, University of Miami alumni and friends are going all in on student success during the first week of classes—a campaign they wish existed when they started their journey at the U. The weeklong ’Canes All In ACC giving challenge is a united effort with the other institutions of the Atlantic Coast Conference in hopes to bolster student success through targeted fundraising.

“When I found out about my acceptance to the U, I was ecstatic. However, I knew that it would be next to impossible for me to go there without scholarship support,” Dr. Christel Wekon-Kemeni, B.S. ’15, says.

Luckily, Wekon-Kemeni applied and was chosen for the Ronald A. Hammond Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship for academically gifted high school students from underrepresented communities.

Currently, nearly three-quarters of admitted students receive some form of aid, financial support that allows them to pursue their education – and their dreams.

Throughout the week of Aug. 21-27, alumni like Wekon-Kemeni are challenging their fellow ’Canes to make gifts of any size to one of the following student-focused funds:

Many alumni, like Victoria Humphrey, B.S. ’14, recall with gratitude the support  and opportunities they received while attending the U.

Coming from a single-parent household, Humphrey never would have imagined she could attend the U – her dream school, let alone complete all her pre-med requirements, study abroad in Rome, or become Miss UM 2011, if it weren’t for the generous donors who helped fund her scholarship.

“One of my favorite memories was bringing the University of Miami pageant back to campus after a hiatus, giving another candidate the same opportunity that I had,” she says.

Today, Humphrey is a dermatology resident physician in Boston, Massachusetts.

The pandemic has posed new financial challenges and barriers to learning which makes University resources like the Camner Center for Academic Resources even more critical for students. Studies show that students who receive academic assistance are more likely to persist and succeed in college than those who do not seek it out.

“This year, I expect we will see a record number of requests for our STEM courses and reach our pre-COVID number of 8,000.  We have been preparing for this for the past year and plan to offer 800 hours a week of tutoring availability every week,” Mykel Billups, assistant dean of academic support at the Camner Center, says.

 “Every donation makes a direct impact, from technology like iPads, software, or tutoring tablets, to simple materials like chemistry models,” says Billups.

Junior Anais Moyal suffers from complex pain regional syndrome and credits the Camner Center for keeping her on track academically. They have offered extra time for exams, assistive devices, and quiet study rooms that help accommodate her disorder.

“There is not a moment in the day where I am not in pain — from the textures of clothing I wear, where I choose to sit in a room due to lighting or noise, there is very little that I do that is not calculated to reduce pain and promote independence and success,” she explains.

During the pandemic, the Camner Center helped Moyal remotely, by providing her with software for her at-home computer and proctoring live exams via Zoom so that she could keep up with rest of her peers.

Funds raised through the ’Canes All In ACC challenge will also go to support talented student-athletes, first-generation students, and many others by providing them with the tools to fast-track their success academically, socially, and professionally.

Help us start the school year off right by making a gift to the ’Canes All In Back-to-School giving challenge!