When Marissa Larrazabal ’15 reached out to John Horchos D.M.D ’88 by phone last November and asked him to consider a gift to The University of Scranton, Horchos was happy to say yes. It was something he has done faithfully every year since 1997 and this time would be no different.
But what happened next, Horchos said, was quite unexpected.
University President Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., who was in the Student Calling Center that evening, borrowed Larrazabal’s headset to personally thank Horchos for his support of his alma mater.
“At first I thought it was a prank,” Horchos said. “Then I thought, no, this kind of personal touch is exactly what Scranton is all about.”
Fr. Quinn made a special visit to the Student Calling Center that evening to spend time meeting with students on duty and to thank them for their service to the University. The student calling program, housed in the Office of Annual Giving, employs nearly 40 Scranton students each semester. Larrazabal and her peers have reached out to thousands of alumni, parents and friends since the program’s inception.
During the calls, their goal is to give updates about the University, provide a snapshot of the life of a current student and to thank members of the extended Scranton community personally for their continued involvement. The callers have successfully raised more than $100,000 in pledges since June 1.
Although student callers are performing a job, they find they regularly benefit from the connections that occur during their shifts. For example, Larrazabal, a health administration major, said she was grateful for the conversation she had with Horchos that evening. He gave her valuable advice about entering the medical field after she graduates in May. The fact that alumni and others with a strong connection to the University go out of their way to help students (and one another) makes her confident she will have their support as she embarks on the next stage of her life, she said.
The students are looking forward to reaching out to even more members of the Scranton community. If you missed a call, visit scranton.edu/makeagift to help current and future students have the best possible Scranton experience.
