President Kim S. Phipps

I vividly remember the contagious excitement in Hitchcock Arena on the evening that the College publicly launched To Serve & To Lead: The Campaign for Student Enrichment at Messiah College. The campaign gala, which was held in October of 2002 and themed “An Evening Aboard HMS Messiah,” transformed Messiah’s gym into the deck of a great ship, symbolizing the voyage that lay ahead to raise $50 million for scholarship aid, new facilities, and enhanced educational programs for students. And what a voyage it has been!

It was an ambitious undertaking—the largest fundraising goal in Messiah College’s history—but thanks to the sincere and generous support of Messiah’s trustees, employees, alumni, parents, and other benefactors, this campaign has enhanced the Messiah College experience for current and future students. The name of the campaign directly expressed the true reason for the campaign’s efforts, to enrich the educational experience for our students and equip them for lives of service and leadership. The outcomes of this campaign are so substantially woven into the intellectual, social, and spiritual fabric of our campus life that it is nearly impossible to comprehend a Messiah College without Boyer Hall, Larsen Student Union, the Christian Vocation Lilly Grant programming, and the many other initiatives that have benefited from the success of this campaign including The Sider Institute, The Boyer Center, The Center for Public Humanities, The Steinbrecher Student Research Scholarships in the Sciences, and preliminary fundraising to expand Climenhaga Fine Arts Center.

When I listen to the story of a student who was able to come to Messiah because of a much-needed scholarship, or who discovered her vocational calling through an internship while living at the Harrisburg Institute, or who was spiritually transformed by a service learning trip he took in Africa through the Collaboratory for Strategic Partnerships and Applied Research, I am reminded of the powerful difference this campaign has made in the lives of our students by providing resources for an excellent Messiah education. Thank you for your support of a campaign that has significantly enhanced Messiah College’s ability to fulfill its mission and to equip students to serve and to lead!