MMC’s Class of ’23 Looks to Boost Fellow Students with Fundraising Drive
From left: 2023 Senior Class Marshals Gabrielle Fiorella, Liberty Joy Maldonado, Iris Parke, Caleb Tolley, and Liz Whitman-Kinghorn. Not pictured: Julia Gaudioso and Mark Anthony Rodriguez-Rangel
As they close out their final year at the College, graduating seniors are leaving behind a parting gift for MMC—one that will help support vulnerable students when they need it most.
In keeping with a longtime MMC tradition, in which seniors organize a philanthropic drive to benefit the student body, the Class of 2023 is raising money for the College’s Student Emergency Fund. The fund provides supplemental financial assistance to students who cannot meet immediate and essential expenses because of unexpected hardship.
Leading the push are MMC’s Senior Class Marshals, eight students chosen through an application process by Student Development and Activities to serve as ambassadors for their graduating class. This year’s group—Gabrielle Fiorella, Caleb Tolley, Julia Gaudioso, Liberty Joy Maldonado, Mark Anthony Rodriguez-Rangel, Iris Parke, Tina Tran, and Liz Whitman-Kinghorn—aim to raise $2023 from their peers but are hoping to far surpass that goal with the help of family, friends, and MMC alums of all years.
“Knowing that we’re helping other students at MMC who’ll follow behind us is so rewarding,” Fiorella said. “It’s something our whole class can look forward to, and we hope others will support the cause as well.”
In previous years graduating classes have raised funds to support a student laptop loaner program, furnish student spaces in the Nugent building, and set up smartphone and tablet charging stations in the Commons. Still, no matter the end goal, the fundraising efforts have all shared the same spirit. “The Senior Marshals believe the best legacy they can leave is to help their peers,” said Associate Director for Student Development and Activities Stephanie Tovar.
In addition to fundraising, Senior Class Marshals play a critical role in planning, promoting, and hosting special events leading up to commencement, such as Strawberry and Champagne, an invitation-only celebration for seniors age 21 and older in April, and a Class of 2023 reception in May.
Fiorella, who’s bound for the City, University of London, where she plans to earn a master’s degree in television journalism, said she appreciated the opportunities serving as a marshal has brought to get to know more members of her class and give back to the College’s “small, tight-knit community.”
“Choosing to attend MMC was one of the best decisions I ever made,” she said. “From the people I’ve met to the experiences I’ve had here, I’m just so grateful for every moment.”
Support the Class of 2023’s Senior Class Gift
Published: April 29, 2023
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