Messiah is full of opportunities.  Students can always appreciate serving and participating in mission trips, taking on new enhanced academic programs, as well as becoming an important part of a club or organization here on campus.  Many of these opportunities and thrilling chances for students to grow would not be possible without the help of the Student Impact Fund.  In addition, the SIF assists in providing scholarships and financial aid to students, funds technology to give our students the best tools to work with, and supports faculty/student research partnerships.  Without these generous gifts from alumni, parents, and other friends of Messiah, the majority of these opportunities would not be possible to maintain.

So, as the summer cools off and slides into the crisp autumn; simply keep in mind what many of our opportunities are supported by: the Student Impact Fund. Hard work and support from parents, friends and alumni alike is not taken for granted and is greatly appreciated, especially as we think about where we will go throughout this next school year.        

- Quinn Dillon, student caller

                It’s been quite an experience to step in as Phonathon Coordinator. I have had many eye-opening experiences and feel like I’ve learned more about Messiah’s commitment to their students than I did when I was actually a student. This is not to say that I did not feel cared for when I was a student – I certainly did! I was so blessed as a student, and in all honesty, I wish I had another four years! There is so much I want to do!  But working on this side of things, I have truly discovered the importance of the Annual Fund, Phonathon, and Giving Back in general.

                Now, I know you’re probably thinking, “Oh, well she’s paid to say that”, but I mean it. I really do. It takes a lot more than just tuition to cover the cost of running an institution, and we are so blessed as a College with the generosity of students, alumni, parents, and friends. I feel so privileged to work in this department because I know that the work I do – and the incredible work that the Phonathon callers do! – makes a profound difference on the lives of students at Messiah. And that’s just plain awesome, if you ask me.

- Erin McManness, Annual Giving Coordinator

A little about me:

I grew up in Baltimore, MD, and came to Messiah as a first year student in 2004 as a Theatre major. I really enjoyed musical theatre in high school, and if we have the pleasure of meeting, you will soon find that I have a very deep love for singing and music. I took a scenic painting course from Timberley Wittrig as part of my theatre experience, and knew I was hooked on art. Growing up with an artistic father, I always had a natural knack for the subject matter. Sophomore year I changed my major to Art Education, with high school as my target audience. Among the first things I learned from shadowing actual high school teachers was that I didn’t want to teach art – I wanted to sit down and DO it! So I changed my major once again to Studio Art with a concentration in Two-Dimensional Studies (aka, painting and drawing). This just goes to show that when you enter college, sometimes you are in to surprise yourself – I certainly did! If you are a first year student reading this entry, I can offer this one piece of advice (among many!): take your Gen Ed’s first. My second semester Senior Year was a 19-credit double whammy!

Any way you slice it, I loved being an Art Major. Among the many things I was involved in at Messiah, I studied abroad in the small town of Orvieto, Italy. It was the best experience of my entire life. Another piece of advice from me to you (no matter how far along you are in your college education): study abroad! You will be changed and molded in ways you cannot even begin to imagine, and it is just really a TON of fun!  If you’d like to hear more about my Italy experience or just studying abroad in general, I warmly welcome you to email me (emcmanness@messiah.edu), and I would love to share with you.

I finished my major with Senior Show, the Art Department’s Capstone project. My colleagues and I devoted an entire eight months to developing ideas, working on preliminary sketches, and finalizing and installing our senior pieces – the culmination of our entire studio art experience – for the reception in March 2008, which drew over 200 viewers in one night! It was certainly an evening to remember.

And now, here I am: back at Messiah for more! I loved my experience as a student, and if you are a student reading this, it is my deepest wish that you too will feel a profound sense of belonging and pride here with us.

I am very excited to work with Phonathon. Phonathon is a work-study job where current students call alumni , parents, and friends of the college to develop relationships by encouraging financial support of the institution. The money raised during Phonathon goes to the Student Impact Fund (SIF). As a student, I had never heard the words, “Student Impact Fund”, even though this fund was – unbeknownst to me - supporting my life as I knew it at Messiah. Student Impact Fund does exactly what its name says: it impacts students on a daily basis. Without the generous giving of alumni, parents, and friends of the college, some students would not be able to even come here! Not to mention all of the numerous events, missions trips, and study abroad opportunities that SIF supports financially. One of the best parts about a Messiah College experience is the ability to GO. We are given so many opportunities to experience life as others do; we are called to be servants – it is an integral part of our mission. As students wanting to make a difference, we choose to give: our time, our money, our compassion. That’s why it is so important to have the Student Impact fund. It is based on giving back to the College as alumni, parents, and friends so that our students continually have the ability to give to others in kind. This circle of giving and giving back is essential to the character of Messiah, and it makes me proud that I can continue to be a part of it.

- Erin McManness, Annual Giving Coordinator

Coming back next semester will be a time of change for the Phonathon with the introduction of Lori Breighner, the new Phonathon coordinator.  We all are excited to begin working for Lori, but we will miss Anthony very much.

Messiah is a great place to be!  Working for Phonathon is just as great as well…think about it - you’re at Messiah, helping other students who are attending Messiah, what could make for a better combination?  Skiing in Maine, and attending Messiah while working for Phonathon.

With the change of seasons comes the change of sports here at Messiah.  As a first-year student, I was unfamiliar with other teams in our conference as well as our rival schools.  I now know that E-Town = Bad and that we have a very fine soccer program here, in both Men’s and Women’s soccer.  Basketball season has begun and I look forward to attending home games, and maybe even some close away games.  The men are 1-2 on the season and the women are undefeated, what more could we ask for?

Another sport of interest that really falls under the radar here at Messiah is our men’s club ice hockey team who play at Twin Ponds West Hockey Rink, which is about 15 minutes from the school.  The Falcons club team consists of twelve students from the College whose combined efforts have earned the team their 6-3-1 record-an impressive record for the clubs inaugural season.  The link for information on the team can be found at: http://twinponds.com/hockey/ps.htm (then click on the NATIONAL division link)

Well that wraps it up for this week at Messiah’s Phonathon, check out some of the new sports in town (or is it officially the “Village” because Grantham is called the Village of Grantham) and stop by for some exciting times as we come to an end during this first semester.

On the topic of weather, before bible class today, a few peers and myself were casually discussing the rain here at Messiah.  It seems that the rain floats down in odd patterns only to redirect itself so that it appears as if it is coming on horizontally.  One fellow added, “Well I’m from Jersey, we don’t have weird rain like this, just normal rain.”  I replied: “I’m from Maine; we don’t even have rain, only snow.”  That caught their attention.

This week is Spirit Week here at Messiah!  How appropriate. Especially with both of our soccer teams doing terrific in the playoffs, also known as “November Nuttiness”.  I’m so excited to watch another quality men’s match on Saturday!  It’s very hard going to a school where you’re so good you have to host the playoff rounds because you dominate constantly.  I guess we’ll just have to deal with it.  As I was headed into chapel today, I was sprung upon by our very own Fandango the Falcon! After exchanging high-fives and evading an attempted lure into the Campus Store I found my way back en route to chapel, I had only seen our mascot once on Homecoming, but I think it’s terrific!

So that’s what’s happening in the Phonathon world, stay tuned for more great updates!

Something about Messiah, which I particularly enjoyed this past week, was the opportunity to have “Pizza with the Pres.”–the chance to meet Messiah’s very own, Dr. Kim Phipps and have a nice chat over some pizza. Dr. Phipps was at the Witmer Residence (wherest I reside) and allowed us to share a very unique experience, being able to express our feelings and opinions with the President without having to pass through rounds and rounds of selective screening. Messiah is truly a great place to be.

So that wraps up yet another week of Phonathon. The place where calls are made and lives are changed.

I enjoy working for Phonathon because in addition to paying for college, and meeting great people - I also get to share my own story and have a quality conversation with our alumni and parents; something that is truly original with Phonathon.  The thing that makes it all the more enjoyable is the fact that I can be myself on the phone and share my own experiences from Messiah and compare them with alumni and even get tidbits of advice from them as well, which is always a kicker.

My experience at Phonathon has also begun to leak into my own life outside of the calling center.  I find myself answering phones more professionally, or even thinking about asking my friends if they’d consider giving to the college this year - of course we can break that down into as many as four installments and even delay that gift up to three months-wait, what am I doing? 

It’s addicting, and it’s a blast. Many times, Phonathon doesn’t seem like “work” but rather a time for me to talk to people all across the country about how great their college is and tell them my story, plans, and goals for the future.  That’s why I’m here, to get the most out of my experience at Messiah College-something that wouldn’t be possible without help from the student impact fund.  Another call, another day.

 Wait!  Before I get into that I realized I have not yet introduced myself.  My name is Quinn Dillon and I am a freshman here at Messiah.  I am from Exeter, Maine and am studying Business to pursue an entrepreneurial career.  Coming from Maine, I have spent most of my life working on my family’s farm and have learned that if I ever wanted to succeed in life, hard work best answer.  I spent this past summer working on a local potato farm during the day and then would drive half an hour into Bangor in order to work at a golf-supply retailer.  I knew that in order to cover my tuition I would need to earn money from scholarships as well as my own labors.  Working 13+ hour days, in the hot sun on the farm as well as working in the mall really motivated me to work my best so that I could enjoy my time here at the College, which is just what I’m doing!

 Already I have been in the creek, played “corn hole” for the first time, participate in Rec. Sports, and enjoyed the surrounding town of Grantham on my bike.  Coming to Messiah is definitely a learning experience, both in my educational and spiritual life.  Being involved at Messiah is what made the difference for many of the Alumni I speak with.  I also enjoy offering what I can, personally, to the college. 

 I recently had the opportunity to play my bagpipes for the presentation of the “whiteout” student section at homecoming last weekend, which was incredible!  I had so much fun both playing as well as cheering our teams on. GO FALCONS!  Messiah is extraordinary and there’s no comparison-where else do you get to cheer for teams with multiple national championships, praise God, and be a part of an experience that will truly last a lifetime and beyond?

My time here at the College has been a very busy, yet productive one. I am currently working for the Phonathon program and, frankly, I am having a blast! Not only do I get to meet all sorts of alumni and parents from around the country (possibly world too) and acquire the priceless skill of effective communication, but I have the chance to promote the school from a very personal perspective. This is something that could only come from me, which is satisfying for me as well as the gracious individuals on the other end of the line as well.

What has Messiah done for me? So far, I am extremely satisfied with my choice of school. Messiah has surrounded me in the God-loving environment that I was initially seeking. I have been welcomed with open arms, it is now up to me to extend my own desire to approach and take advantage of the many opportunities that lie before me.
God Bless,
Quinn Dillon