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BecauseHamilton: Goal Met

2023

The Because Hamilton campaign began with the goal of $400 million, more than double any previous fundraising effort in Hamilton’s history. Ambitious, yes. Impossible, certainly not. Why? Because Hamiltonians believe in the College’s transformative liberal arts education and demonstrate time and again their commitment to ensuring that experience for future generations.

Together, we exceeded our goal. Here’s a snapshot of how — and why — we did it.

Martin's way
Orientation

Because Hamilton [Aspires]

Know Thyself

Embedded in the heart of Hamilton — and the Because Hamilton campaign — is the notion that the College was founded as a school of opportunity. Today, that founding vision intertwines with the ethos of Know Thyself, inspiring our continuous pursuit to make every aspect of a Hamilton education accessible to the most talented students from around the world.

Expect Opportunity
Alexander Hamilton mosaic
This mosaic was created from campus images, each representing a gift made during the 2019 Because Hamilton Day. The event raised more than $3 million for student financial aid.

Financial Aid: Increased Access and Opportunity

In 2019, Hamilton celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its need-blind admission policy, which established that the College does not consider a student’s financial circumstances in its admission decisions for U.S. citizens and meets each student’s full demonstrated financial need. Hamilton is among fewer than four dozen U.S. colleges and universities that provide this extraordinary access.

Students walking on Martin's Way
Members of the Board of Trustees talk about what it was like to be in the room when Hamilton’s commitment to need-blind admission was made; students reflect on life-altering education.
Hamilton Magazine - Winter 2020

The Best Education For the Best Students

Phyllis Breland and Marty Sweeney

The SEAS Fund: Teaching Students to Fish

When Trustee Phyllis Breland ’80 was Hamilton’s Director of Opportunity Programs, one of her favorite meetings was for the Student Emergency Aid Society (SEAS), a campus committee that evaluates and supports emergency or exceptional one-time needs for students with extraordinary financial barriers.

"First Up" First Generation celebration, Fall 2022

Hamilton Joins Network for First-Gen Student Success

Hamilton College has been selected to join a prestigious network of colleges and universities that have demonstrated a commitment to enhancing experiences and advancing outcomes for first-generation college students.

Academic Foundation

Know Thyself

It is the role of everyone at Hamilton to ensure our liberal arts education remains rigorous, relevant, and comprehensive. The people who teach our students and guide groundbreaking research, as well as the initiatives and programs we design to both enhance students’ experiences and prepare them for when they leave College Hill, are essential to this work.

Academics
commencement

Learning Outside the Classroom

Know Thyself

Hamilton brings together people from different backgrounds and with different ideas and perspectives. Yet the special advantage of the residential liberal arts experience is the opportunity to develop a program that more purposefully provides a diverse array of students with extensive opportunities for leadership, engagement, intellectual and personal growth, and wellness.

Know Thyself
Max Majireck's lab
HEARTFELT RESEARCH. Four Hamilton students and Associate Professor of Chemistry Max Majireck have partnered with a biomedical research institute to pioneer safer and more sustainable methods for creating therapeutic proteins.
Three students discuss an exhibit at the 2023 Senior Art Show.
Creating Art, Crossing Disciplines. Students talk about the high-level spaces they are provided to create art and how the open curriculum gives them the flexibility to incorporate a range of academic interests.

Spotlight

Will Whalen ’23
Designing the Chess World’s Biggest Villain. Will Whalen ’23, a world politics major, is the mastermind behind Mittens, the cute yet cunning chessmaster that took over the chess world earlier this year.
Students chat over lunch at the Spanish language table.
Speaking of Grabbing a Meal … Led by international teaching fellows and Hamilton’s language professors, each language department organizes an optional, weekly meeting for students interested in that language to practice their speaking skills.
Virginia Davis ’25 waits for a subway train in New York City.
My Semester in New York City. Virginia Davis ’25, a psychology and public policy double major, shares some of her favorite adventures and what she learned about city life, her interests, and herself.

A Balanced Life

Know Thyself

When it came time to articulate our community’s most pressing needs and how a campaign could support them, Hamilton was looking to strengthen its support for individual health and well-being. Because Hamilton helped the College become a model and leader in developing the health and wellness of our community.

Health & Wellness
Health Center
Wall St. Journal Features Peer Counselors. “Robust training and oversight [are] key,” said Hamilton Counseling Center Director David Walden as he described the College’s peer counselor program.
community pantry
Students Cook Smart Through Wellness Program. Registered Dietitian Lela Niemetz teaches students about nutrition through recipes that include only locally sourced foods from a range of Clinton-area farms.

“It is said one is more blessed to give than to receive, but, frankly, both have their merits. The generosity shown by you, our donors to Because Hamilton, has made an enormous difference in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff. My heartfelt thanks to all of you.”

David Wippman President David Wippman

FROM EVERYONE ON COLLEGE HILL TODAY AND TOMORROW,
WE THANK YOU.

Help us provide an accessible education, offer innovative resources and programs, and foster intellectual exploration.

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