HIGH POINT, N.C., Dec. 3, 2009 ? High Point University students in Dr. David Bergen?s leadership development class took on a difficult task this semester ? the class completed a project to help honor the memory of a classmate?s sister.
The class worked tediously to help Casey Gilger, a junior at HPU, establish the Corey Gilger Fund. Corey Gilger passed away in May after a battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The class opted to take on the task after learning about Gilger?s efforts to start a fund that would help other children like her sister.
“Corey wanted to make sure that the kids at Johns Hopkins who were sick like her were taken care of, so when she came to me and asked what we could do, I automatically thought we should hold a fundraiser,” Gilger says.
Gilger continued The Corey Gilger Fund after her sister passed away. She was successful in raising money for the fund, but didn?t realize how much work establishing a non-profit organization would entail. That?s when the leadership development class stepped in to help.
“Leadership is about being collaborative, goal-oriented and making a true difference, and my class has embraced all of these elements in a truly amazing group project,” Bergen says. “Their efforts will have a significant positive impact with many individuals far into the future.”
To help set up the fund, the class worked on several different aspects, including creating press kits and logos, designing Web site templates and creating a mission statement for the organization.
“The leadership development class has been extremely fundamental in helping with the initial growth of the Corey Gilger Fund,” Gilger says. “Their hard work and dedication will shape the pathway that leads us to help as many families and children who need us. Their efforts will forever be evident in the initial structure of the fund. Although Corey is no longer with us, her legacy will continue.”
At High Point University, every student receives an extraordinary education in a fun environment with caring people. HPU, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a liberal arts institution with 3,700 undergraduate and graduate students from 50 countries and 44 states at campuses in High Point and Winston-Salem. It is ranked by US News and World Report No. 5 among comprehensive universities in the South and No. 1 in its category among up-and-coming schools. Forbes.com ranks HPU in the top 6 percent among “America’s Best Colleges.” HPU was included in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For” 2009 listings. The university offers 68 undergraduate majors, 40 undergraduate minors and seven graduate degree programs. It is accredited by the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and is a member of the NCAA, Division I and the Big South Conference. Visit High Point University on the Web at http://www.highpoint.edu/ or on Twitter at @HighPointU.
Chris DudleyVice President for [email protected]