Yellow Jackets for Life Gives (YJ4L Gives) is a new student giving program operating out of the Baldwin Wallace University Annual Giving Office. The primarily
student-driven program encourages students to give a small amount of money from their Jacket Express Cards to be used for fellow student scholarships.
Money for the scholarship also comes from the graduating BW class as their senior gift. Funds collected from students go toward the YJ4L Scholarship that is awarded to one student in the BW student body based on financial need.
Director of Annual Giving Aimee Bell emphasized the importance of this “pay it forward” mentality for the scholarship program.
“All of us at Baldwin Wallace have benefitted from alumni gifts in the form of things like renovated classrooms and financial aid,” Bell said. “We hope this
program will make students more aware of these gifts and more willing
to give back to their school.”
Bell emphasized the importance of this program to students and alumni because it not only raises awareness of how students benefit from financial gifts every day, but  it also shows alumni that giving money to BW will provide scholarships for students and keep the campus beautiful and well-respected.
“I hope alumni can see students taking interest in giving back to their school and that will encourage them to give themselves,” Bell said.
“At the very least, I hope that this program will show alumni how much BW students appreciate their university.”
Last year’s YJ4L Scholarship recipient was Richard Teel, a senior. Students raised half of the scholarship, and the other half was given by the Grippen Fund.
This fund has pledged to match any money raised by the Baldwin Wallace students and double the amount of the scholarship each year.
Teel is pursuing a double major of Political Science and International Studies
with a minor in International Business.
With the help of the YJ4L scholarship, Teel will be able to complete his degree and continue his pursuit of law school after graduation. Teel is the first of many BW
students who will reap the benefits of their fellow students’ generosity.
A student giving committee is working closely with the Alumni and Annual Giving Office that is heading up this year’s fundraising campaign. The group consists of
sophomore, junior and senior class officers, who are advertising and promoting this program at events around campus. They will be answering questions as well as taking
donations for the fund. The committee will be taking donations from a table in the Strosacker lobby during community hour March 8 to the 26.
YJ4L Gives focuses on making current Baldwin Wallace students more aware of the power of philanthropy and how it can change lives as well as showing them the lasting effect their gifts can provide for other BW students. Students are asked to give up one afternoon cup of coffee or one night on the town to help a fellow student be
able to continue to reap the lifelong benefits of a BW education.
For more information, or to donate online, please visit                                             http://www.bw.edu/giving/annual/yj4lgives.