Have you gotten a phone call from The Augsburg Fund Phonathon callers this year? Maybe you enjoy hearing from them, maybe you’ve blocked them, but we know them as 16 busy students who do great work on behalf of the College, five days a week. Their goal is to raise $85,000, and are halfway there at the midpoint in our fiscal year. At the year’s end, we’d like to pay tribute to the work they do. They have talked with 1,800 alumni from calling 41,438 alumni. On Give to the Max Day, they talked with or left messages for more than 1,500 people in 12 hours. (The results paid off for the College and The Augsburg Fund. See our story on Give to the Max Day if you haven’t already heard the good news.)
We share an office with them, and their bright energy helps buoy our spirits on quiet winter nights and exciting days like Give to the Max Day. Whether or not you’re in the mood for a call from Augsburg, these callers demonstrate tireless energy and positivity year round. In addition to school work, their work here serves current and future students at Augsburg. If you haven’t received a call from one of our student callers, and would still like to make a gift to The Augsburg Fund this year, visit augsburg.edu/giving or call: 612-330-1179. Next time you receive a call, you have a 3/16 chance of knowing a little bit about who they are, and from where they’re calling. So if you see a call from Augsburg, pick it up because it is a current student—and they genuinely love talking with alumni.
Jamil Toney, 21
Hometown: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Major: Theater-Performance
LaTiona Washington, 24, JuniorHometown: Minneapolis
When I’m not busy with school or work, I like to crochet. I wanted work for the Augsburg Fund to gain more phone experiences, and get advice from alumni about social work. I had this call once, where the alumnus talked to me and told me how life is as a social worker. She also gave me great advice about staying connected with your teachers, and networking as much as possible. This was the first conversation I have had with a social worker alumni, and it was awesome. I was so grateful to speak to her, and made sure she knew that. I desire to council married couples, as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker.
I am the Chair of Augsburg Art Club and involved with other groups on campus like Queer Pride Alliance! Working as an Augsburg Fund phoneathon caller seemed like a really cool chance to get to know a lot of people. It’s been a joy to get to know so many alumni and just admire and be a part of the widespread Auggie pride! So many people I have spoken to have been wonderfully inspirational! My favorite moments as a caller are often the really simple ones, things like how a student from 20 years ago can connect and has the same feelings as I do. To know that so many of us have had a similar but different life-changing experiences, to share in what we love and call Augsburg together. Making connections with people on a personal level are the most touching moments!
Ideally, after graduation, I want to work as a freelance artist on the side, and do non-profit work as my mainstay, with the goal to make a difference in my community!