Wolfpack Student Initiative -- History

In the spring of 2000, Harold B. Pettigrew, Jr. came up with the idea of a student-run and student-funded scholarship program in the midst of running for student body president. The idea was sparked through conversations with student leaders from Georgia Tech regarding programs at that university and the amount of student involvement. He recognized that there was a need for greater student involvement in the efforts to raise money for financial aid targeting unmet financial need. The university had finished a major campaign to raise financial aid for the student body but there was no avenue for student involvement, yet financial aid was (and continues to be) the most dominant issue effecting students each year. The original idea was to establish some sort of foundation, but after becoming student body president, Pettigrew realized that the most feasible method of creating a scholarship run by students would be in the form of an endowment. Pettigrew, with the help of others, established that this endowment would be an avenue for the student body to take an active role in the battle against high levels of unmet financial need of the students of NC State University. Because there had not been a program such as this done by another student government, he knew that they would be charting their own course. This project was unique in its creation, and there were no blueprints or any student governments to consult who may have laid a foundation for them to follow. The major task was to figure out how NC State's student government would be able to manage such a scholarship endowment. In addition, due to the amount of effort that was placed on establishing the endowment, they had not focused on its name. Therefore, in its initial stage, it was called the Student Government Scholarship Endowment.

With understanding how large the task was to establish a scholarship endowment, Pettigrew began research the summer of 2000. His initial efforts were at the Trustee level. The Trustees were very helpful and provided him with the first steps that should be taken. More specifically, Ed Hood supported the idea with enthusiasm and directed me to talk with Terry Wood, Vice Chancellor for University Development. Pettigrew set up meetings with Terry, in which Terry provided him more direction on its establishment and methods of raising money. With meeting Terry, Pettigrew was introduced to David Anderson, Associate Vice Chancellor of University Development. After the three of them met, he was given his next two steps. The first was to talk with Joan DeBruin, the Executive Director of the Office of Major Givings. She would be able to guide him through the process of setting up a scholarship endowment within the university. The next was to talk with Lorna Ludholz, (Director) and Lorena Kraft (Associate Director) of the Annuam Fund to discuss methods of fundraising in conjunction with the Senior Class Gift.

Joan DeBruin guided the process to establish a scholarship endowment. She informed Pettigrew of the basic information that was needed to understand the operation of an endowment. This basic information is highlighted in this report. She was very helpful and provided assistance through the year as it was needed.

As the school year began, one of the major goals of the administration was to recruit freshmen to Student Government. In doing so, Pettigrew named a freshman special assistant to aid in the research and efforts to establish the scholarship endowment. The special assistant was Munje Foh, and she attended meetings, gathered information, and assisted in the development of the endowment. They resumed meetings with all the key figures regarding the endowment, with include Julie Rice-Malette (Director, Office of Financial Aid), Terry Wood and David Anderson (University Development) and lastly Joan DeBruin.

In addition to crafting its structure within student government and the university, they had to simultaneously think of fundraising efforts. One of the requirements of establishing an endowment is that you have to raise a minimum of $15,000 in four years of its creation. They didn't want to lose time fundraising while we were creating its structure. They already had funds that would be committed to the endowment. In the Student Government budget, there was a like item for the Student Memorial Fund. This fund was money set aside for families who wanted to make a donation to an entity on behalf of their student who had recently passed away. This had been a great idea. However, participation by the family had been low. A letter would go to the family by the Student Body President on behalf of the Wolfpack family. However, during Pettigrew's year he found that either the families did not respond or they responded to have the money go to the fund of their choice. Therefore he decided to make that year's donation from the Student Memorial Fund go to the Student Government Scholarship Endowment on behalf of these students. This gave birth to the idea of the endowment having a dual purpose. Pettigrew and his committee came up with the idea that the endowment, in addition to providing financial aid to students, would serve as a memorial for students who had passed during the year. Each year, Student Government would donate funds from the Student Memorial Fund to the Student Government Scholarship Endowment on behalf of the Wolfpack students who had passed during the year.

Because the endowment did not have a formal structure, Pettigrew spearheaded its development. This presented a problem due to the Vote 2000 campaign. Major efforts were placed into this campaign and the Student Government Scholarship Endowment project was halted.

The first had come to an end before they could resume work with the endowment project. At the beginning of the Spring semester (2001), the Chief of Operations Charles Lawley spearheaded efforts to distribute a survey to students. Charles was responsible for all external efforts and participation of student government, which included participation in the Association of Student Governments (ASG), and interaction with the General Assembly. This survey was an initiative put in place for the ASG and was to assist in information gathering for the March on the Capitol protest, which was taking place in February. They decided to make the survey applicable to NC State students and to assist with research they were doing for the scholarship endowment. In the survey students were asked if they would be willing to pay a fee of one dollar to assist in efforts to battle unmet financial need. Over 1,000 students responded to the survey and from the respondents over 90% marked that they would pay the fee. In addition, 2-3% wrote that they would provide ten dollars or more.

This response affirmed Pettigrew's assertion that students could take part in the fundraising efforts of the university and directly give to a fund that provided an avenue for student participation. In addition, this was a direct effort that students could support that would go directly back to the students. By this time, efforts had been halted again due to the conferences, COSGA and the ACC, the ASG March on the Capitol and preparation for the election season, where Pettigrew sought reelection. Actions were completely halted until after the election season.

When the elections were over, he resumed his work with the endowment until the end of the year. On May 25, 2001 the papers were signed giving birth to what would be later named the Wolfpack Student Initiative.

Over the summer, a proposal was sent to the Annual Fund to consider support for the Student Government Scholarship Endowment by the Senior Class Gift. The idea was well received by the Annual Fund. However, due to a difference of opinion, lack of representative structure, and the lack of support, the senior class gift was no longer pursued due to the lack of cooperation by the senior class president.

When the school year kicked-off, a committee was formed to help manage the operation of the endowment in which Pettigrew chaired. One of their first goals was to name the endowment. They had reviewed ideas presented the year before, but came to the conclusion that the name would be the Wolfpack Pride Memorial Fund, an idea presented by Nick DiColandrea. After getting advice from Joan DeBruin, they decided to go back to the drawing board with establishing a name. They did not want for the endowment to be confused with any efforts that were pursued or the mission to be lost with a name that made connections to the athletics program. In addition, with using "Memorial" in the title, they did not want to detract from the main goal of the endowment, to provide an avenue for the student body to raise money.

They resumed discussions and brainstorming and came up with the name the Wolfpack Student Initiative. The idea was simple. "Wolfpack" was used to maintain the connection to NC State. "Student" is self-explanatory. Ownership would remain in the students' hands and this would be the students' avenue to address a major problem afflicting the student body - unmet financial need. Lastly, "Initiative" captured the energy of the students focused to address this issue and embodied all the effort that students would place into raising money. Therefore, the name "Wolfpack Student Initiative" embodied the mission intended for this endowment and captured the essence of Pettigrew's original idea.

On November 16, 2001, the kickoff took place for the Wolfpack Student Initiative in which the university community was invited. The families of the students remembered were in attendance and the plaque that bared the student's names was unveiled. At this kick-off ceremony, the goals of the fund were announced. The "phase one" goal was $20,000 to be raised in one year. In addition, they established a five-year goal of $100,000, which wass very ambitious but definitely realistic. As on June 26, 2002, they had raised nearly $14,400. They had a very successful year and the commission would have other projects to increase funding for the next year.

The success of the Wolfpack Student Initiative derived from the support that was received from the university community as a whole. Major support came from the members of the Trustees, and the administration. In addition, Pettigrew had two years of phenomenal energy from the freshman classes and other student leaders that helped secure a solid foundation for the Wolfpack Student Initiative. For a project that had no blueprint, its success has certainly been an unbelievable accomplishment. It was his hope that the Wolfpack Student Initiative serve as a legacy of his administration and continue to be an avenue where the students could directly help other students. As a student leader, one of his goals was to provide vision and forward thinking for the student body. In doing, this WSI will hopefully transcend student leadership and serve as a model that if the mind can conceive it, and the heart can believe it, then anything can be achieved.

Written by:

Harold B. Pettigrew, Jr.
Director, Wolfpack Student Initiative 2001-2002
Student Body President 2000-2001