������Ƶ will host “United in Purpose” on Thursday, Nov. 5, bringing together alumni, parents and friends of ������Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte for an evening of connection and community.

The event will be held at Urban Garden in Charlotte and begin at 6:30 p.m. with a hosted reception featuring hors d’oeuvres. Guests will gather at 7:30 p.m. for a special program featuring remarks from ������Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book. A dessert reception will follow the program and conclude the evening. Business attire is requested.

United in Purpose
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026
6:30 p.m. — Hosted reception with hors d’oeuvres
7:30 p.m. — Program
Dessert reception to follow until 9 p.m.

Urban Garden
150 N. College St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

Register at or contact advancement@elon.edu.

For Jacob Bradshaw ’27, the answer turned out to be milk.

During his first weeks at ������Ƶ, Bradshaw was eating lunch in McEwen Dining Hall with two new friends when they noticed that all three happened to be drinking glasses of milk. They joked about making it a regular gathering. Days later, Bradshaw brought the idea to ������Ƶ’s Organization Fair. Armed with little more than a handwritten interest sheet, he collected 68 signatures in two hours.

What began as a spontaneous idea has since become an award-winning student organization whose events have brought hundreds of students together. But as Bradshaw and President Connie Ledoux Book discuss in the latest episode of “������Ƶ Beyond the Bricks,” Milk Club has never really been about the milk.

“The real magic of the Milk Club is that it’s the relationships that form,” Book said during their conversation. “Milk is really just the vehicle for forming the relationship.”

That vehicle has taken many forms, including Spilled Milk Poetry Night, the Cownival and the Milk Soirée, where roughly 300 students dressed formally to listen to live jazz and drink milk — and dairy alternatives — from wine glasses. The organization also collaborated with Student Union Board on Milk Bingo, filling Sato Commons with roughly 500 students. Book remembered the event, too, because she announced a few of the rounds that evening.

Behind the playful names, however, is something Bradshaw and his fellow club leaders have taken seriously: cultivating an inclusive environment that gives students a reason to spend time together.

Bradshaw said the club’s executive board often begins with an activity and asks a simple question: How can they make it milk-related? Those conversations have helped the students create events around a theme almost anyone can join, regardless of whether they prefer whole milk, chocolate milk, oat milk or no milk at all.

That low barrier to participation has helped Milk Club become a place where students can form friendships and shared memories without needing a particular academic, professional or athletic interest to bring them together. It also connects closely with ������Ƶ’s broader focus on well-being.

During the episode, Book connected Milk Club with HealthEU, ������Ƶ’s university-wide initiative centered on six dimensions of well-being. For Bradshaw, those ideas have shaped more than the organization he founded.

An Isabella Cannon Leadership Fellow studying neuroscience and psychology on a pre-med track, Bradshaw has also served as an Orientation Leader and biology teaching assistant. He said conversations about the dimensions of well-being through Leadership Fellows helped shape how he approaches his different roles at ������Ƶ.

“Trying to integrate all of that has been one of the most valuable things that I have been able to take away from my ������Ƶ experience,” Bradshaw said.

That intentionality extends into his everyday life. During the episode’s recording, Book noticed a wall behind Bradshaw covered in colorful sticky notes. For roughly a year, he had been writing down one thing each night that made him happy or grateful that day. The practice gives him another reason to stop and reflect on the people and experiences filling his life.

Milk Club operates on a similar principle. Milk may provide the theme, but the reason students return is the opportunity to laugh, participate and spend time with one another.

As Bradshaw begins his senior year, the organization that started around a dining hall table has become part of his ������Ƶ legacy, serving as an example of how even the simplest idea can give people the reason they need to come together.

Learn more about “������Ƶ Beyond the Bricks.”

The $500,000 contribution from Trustee Vicky Hunt and Sam Hunt will fund strategic priorities in athletics, continuing a tradition of generous philanthropy at ������Ƶ that spans more than three decades.

The Burlington, North Carolina, couple said they are proud to invest in and the success of student-athletes, both in the classroom and in competition. Their recent gift is an effort to continue advancing Phoenix athletics under the leadership of Director of Athletics Jenn Stawley.

“We believe in the value of ������Ƶ athletics and its positive impact on the lives of our student-athletes,” the Hunts said. “Under Jenn’s leadership, the vision and plan established for athletics has elevated our program. Our plans are to continue supporting President Connie Book, Jenn Strawley and ������Ƶ in every way we can!”

Strawley thanked the Hunts for believing in the vision for ������Ƶ athletics.

“I am deeply grateful to Sam and Vicky for their long-time support of ������Ƶ athletics,” Strawley said. “Their generosity has allowed countless student-athletes to thrive both athletically and academically. I also appreciate the trust and belief they’ve shown in our vision. Their generous support of the Athletic Director’s Excellence Fund advances our priorities and continues to elevate ������Ƶ athletics.”

The impact of Vicky and Sam Hunt’s philanthropy can be seen across ������Ƶ’s campus and in the accomplishments of outstanding students.

The couple are among the university’s most generous and loyal donors, making gifts to name Hunt Atrium, a dynamic and spacious entry point to Founders Hall in the Innovation Quad, featuring open collaboration spaces and assembly areas, tiered bench seating and space for group events, guest speakers and receptions. Their gift to the IQ also endowed the Sam and Vicky Hunt Business Fellows Scholarship for top students in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

The Hunts also contributed $1 million to name Phoenix Atrium in Slattery Center, ������Ƶ’s future health and wellness hub, and to provide additional funding for the Sam and Vicky Hunt Odyssey Scholarship, which the couple endowed in 2017 to assist students with significant financial need, including first-generation college students.

In addition to scholarships, the Hunts have contributed generously to the Phoenix Club and ������Ƶ Academy, the university’s successful college access and success program, and advanced ������Ƶ’s iconic campus with gifts to Hunt Softball Park, Schar Center and . The couple have also made a $3 million estate gift that in the future will create an endowment to fund scholarships.

Sam Hunt is the retired chairman and CEO of Atlas Lighting Products and Hunt Electric Supply Company in Burlington. He served four terms in the N.C. House of Representatives before being named Transportation Secretary in 1993. He went on to serve as President and Chairman of the N.C. Railroad from 1996-2002. In addition to her role in their businesses, Vicky Hunt has served on ������Ƶ’s Board of Trustees since 1997 and is actively involved with charitable work in her community.

The full schedule of events and activities can be found on the 2026 Homecoming & Reunion Weekend webpage.

The weekend kicks off with Rock the Block on Friday night featuring a Homecoming Concert you won’t want to miss! Food trucks and a bar will surround Young Commons, adding to the music festival experience, and the night will end with a fireworks show.

On Saturday, wake up to breakfast pastries and a commemorative coffee mug at Welcome Home College Coffee before joining friends at the All Alumni Tailgate! Taking place at the Schar Center, this year’s All Alumni Tailgate will include beer, new food stations, a DJ, and plenty of reserved tent space for reuniting with your Affinity, Class, Cohort and Greek reunions.

After the tailgate, find your seats to watch ������Ƶ football take on Wofford at 2 p.m.

With so much more in store, including celebrations for our affinity networks, and class and Greek reunions (some listed below), we can’t wait to celebrate Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2026 next month.

• ������Ƶ Black Alumni Network (EBAN)
• ������Ƶ LGBTQIA Network
• ������Ƶ Latin/Hispanic Alumni Network (ELHAN)
• Alpha Chi Omega’s 25th Anniversary
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s 35th Anniversary
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.’s 45th Anniversary
• Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.’s 40th Anniversary
• ������貹���ٱ���ٲ�’s��15�ٳ������ԲԾ��������������
• Phi Mu’s 55th Anniversary
• Zeta Tau Alpha’s 55th Anniversary

Learn more about the weekend’s full schedule of events�����Ի���.

Ginsburg, a junior economics and entrepreneurship double major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has built a business around transforming photographs of homes and other buildings into custom LEGO kits. Through his company, Blueprint Bricks, customers from around the world can turn meaningful places, including their own homes, into one-of-a-kind LEGO creations.

“I built my own house during COVID using the pieces I had in my basement,” Ginsburg said. “That inspired me to learn the software, make a website and start my own business.”

Ginsburg launched the company as a high school freshman in 2021 under the name Henry’s Custom Homes. He rebranded as Blueprint Bricks this summer, just in time to help bring ������Ƶ’s LEGO-themed Family Weekend to life.

Family Weekend 2026 attendees can purchase a limited-edition ������Ƶ “E” LEGO kit when they register for the weekend. The kit features 175 pieces and the final product stands 5.5 inches tall. A portion of each sale will support ������Ƶ’s Greatest Needs.

The LEGO fun will continue at the Fan Fest event on Saturday, Sept. 26 at Schar Center, as attendees will be able to participate in the building of a 40 inch x 40 inch, 16,644 piece ������Ƶ-themed LEGO mosaic. Ginsburg will be in attendance and is looking forward to seeing this project come to life.

“I can’t wait to be there and see everyone at Fan Fest. I love interacting with people and answering their questions,” he said.

Families checking in at McKinnon Hall during Family Weekend will also be able to view examples of Ginsburg’s LEGO model of ������Ƶ’s Alamance building.

“I think Family Weekend is a really important part of the ������Ƶ experience,” Ginsburg remarked. “Getting to be a part of it is such a privilege.”

For more information on Ginsburg’s business, Blueprint Bricks, visit

Family Weekend 2026 will be held September 25-27. To register, visit /u/parents/family-weekend/.

Alumni, parents and friends of ������Ƶ are invited to come together for an Evening for ������Ƶ in Chicago. Connect with fellow members of the ������Ƶ community and hear a few highlights from campus.

The event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Chicago Cultural Center. Join us at 6:30 p.m. for a reception featuring a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres before gathering for a special program at 7:30 p.m. with remarks from President Connie Ledoux Book.

Evening for ������Ƶ in Chicago with President Connie L. Book 
Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026
6:30 p.m. Hosted reception with hors d’oeuvres
7:30 p.m. Program with remarks by President Book

Chicago Cultural Center
77 East Randolph Street
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Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres

Register at  or contact advancement@elon.edu.

As ������Ƶ prepares for the new academic year ahead, we celebrate the accomplishments and the incredible support of donors during this past fiscal year.

Learn more below about the impact that donors made in 2025-26.

Giving: How donors invested in students

������Ƶ provides an exceptional education, unique in the opportunities that are provided to students from the very beginning. Donor support helps bridge the gap between an ordinary education and unlocking the potential of all that ������Ƶ has to offer. From hands-on learning and mentorship, to ������Ƶ Experiences like study abroad and research, students can take advantage of what makes ������Ƶ special with the help of donor funding.

Donor generosity from the 2025-26 fiscal year will continue to impact students for years to come. Here are just a few of the ways in which donors invested in students this past year:

• $31.8 million raised for students
• 6,337 alumni donors
• 4,208 parent and grandparent donors
• 1,021 faculty and staff donors
• 364+ funds impacted
• 11 new planned gifts totaling $5+ Million
• ��𳦴ǰ���-�����𲹰쾱�Բ���������Ƶ Day 2026 raising $3.5 million
• Top funds supported: ������Ƶ’s Greatest Needs, ������Ƶ Student Scholarships, Academic Schools & Departments, The Phoenix Club and HealthEU

Student success: What donor gifts made possible

Thanks to donor support, ������Ƶ’s Odyssey Program reached a new milestone, welcoming the largest cohort in ������Ƶ history. You can learn more about this accomplishment on Today at ������Ƶ.

Donor generosity also led to a successful year for student-athletes. This year marked a 48% increase for annual giving to support Phoenix Athletics compared to just five years ago. Twenty student-athletes presented their research at the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum, and 93 student-athletes graduated in May 2026. All of this in addition to winning multiple CAA championship titles! 

More than 1,500 students walked across the stage to accept their diplomas during Commencement 2026. Thanks to donor support, students were able to see their dreams realized. Visit Today at ������Ƶ to read the stories of graduating seniors to see how donors helped them along the way.

Community: How we strengthened ������Ƶ together

������Ƶ’s network continues to thrive because of the engagement of alumni, families, faculty, staff and friends. Their involvement is what makes the university so special, strengthening our community and creating opportunities for future generations.

These accomplishments illustrate the tremendous impact of involvement with ������Ƶ:

Alumni

• 10,550 engaged alumni
• 186��alumni events with 3,547 attendees
• 2,427 alumni returned for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend
• 2,523 alumni served as volunteers
• 296 shared their love for ������Ƶ as Social Media Ambassadors
• 33��Women of ������Ƶ events with 368 attendees
• 811 participants in Lifelong Learning and Professional Development
• 1,523 alumni participated in 
• 67 reunion committee members

Families

• 6,881�� attendees representing 1,939 families
• 32 Summer Welcome Events with 756 attendees in 23 States
• 364 “Ready, Set, ������Ƶ!” virtual attendees
• 116��FAMbassadors
• 7 parent Webinars���ɾ��ٳ���967�����ٳٱ�Ի����

Faculty & Staff

• 42 Giving Captains
• 4 Co-Chairs for Faculty & Staff Giving
• 105 ������Ƶ Day Champions

Together, these accomplishments tell the story of an extraordinary ������Ƶ community and its enduring commitment to giving back. Thank you to our 2025–26 fiscal year donors for investing in our students and their future.

A recent graduate of Queens University of Charlotte has been elected to serve as a youth trustee for ������Ƶ, bringing to the role his record of student leadership on campus with a commitment to service across the community.

will serve a three-year term as Youth Trustee, joining Elizabeth “Liz” Kwon L’23 and Rafi Dahdal ’24 G’24 in youth leadership roles for the university’s governing body.

The Board of Trustees has ultimate corporate and fiduciary responsibility for ������Ƶ. It oversees ������Ƶ’s long-term health and strategic direction, educational policy, finances and operations, and overall advancement of the university’s mission.

As a Presidential Fellow in the Office of the President at Queens, Omari supported executive leadership through institutional research, governance analysis for the Board of Trustees, strategic benchmarking of peer institutions, coordinated executive-level events, and board communications.

Omari, who described his youth trustee appointment as “truly an honor,” also served as senior class president, a four-term international representative in the Student Government Association, president of the iBelong Mentoring Program and co-president of the Health Equity Alliance.

Additional leadership roles include service on the Student Alumni Council, the Data Analytics Student Association executive board and as an admissions ambassador. In recognition of his achievements, , the most prestigious undergraduate award bestowed at Queens.

Originally from Accra, Ghana, Omari attended Ghana National College before coming to the United States in 2021 through the AFS Intercultural YES exchange program and spending a year at Charlotte Country Day School. He later enrolled at Queens University of Charlotte as an international student and Presidential Scholar, graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in data analytics and minors in finance and mathematics. He begins working in September as an AI & Data Associate Consultant with Ernst & Young in New York City.”

With experience spanning data, artificial intelligence, institutional governance and student leadership, Omari said he looks forward to joining the ������Ƶ Board of Trustees as a youth trustee and contributing his recent student perspective informed by academic achievement, public service and cross-campus leadership.

“My role as a youth trustee presents an opportunity to help shape a historic moment for both institutions,” Omari said. “I’m excited to contribute a recent student perspective to conversations about how the traditions of both institutions might be honored while creating a stronger future together.”

About ������Ƶ

������Ƶ is a nationally recognized leader in engaged, experiential learning that prepares graduates to be creative, resilient, ambitious and ethical citizens of our global culture.

At ������Ƶ, more than 7,000 students learn through hands-on experiences and close working relationships with faculty and staff whose priorities are teaching and mentoring. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences with emphasis on global experiences and career development. More than 80 undergraduate majors are complemented by professional and graduate programs in law, business, education and health care. ������Ƶ is ranked No. 1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report.

������Ƶ’s academic divisions include ������Ƶ College, the College of Arts and Sciences; the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business; the School of Communications; the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health Sciences; and the School of Law, with programs in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina.

In 2025, ������Ƶ and Queens University of Charlotte announced plans to merge, pending final approval from SACSCOC and the U.S. Department of Education by 2028.

Alumni, parents and friends of ������Ƶ are invited to come together for an Evening for ������Ƶ in Washington, DC. Connect with fellow members of the ������Ƶ community and hear a few highlights from campus.

The event will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the National Portrait Gallery. Join us at 7 p.m. for a reception featuring a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres before gathering for a special program at 8 p.m. with remarks from President Connie Ledoux Book. Following the remarks, current alumni donors are invited to the Cheers to ������Ƶ celebration, featuring additional food and drinks, lively music and the opportunity to connect with fellow members of the ������Ƶ community.  to the designation of your choice to join the fun.

Evening for ������Ƶ in Washington, DC with President Connie L. Book 
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
7 p.m. Hosted reception with hors d’oeuvres
8 p.m. Program with remarks by President Book
8:30 -10 p.m. Cheers to ������Ƶ celebration for alumni donors

National Portrait Gallery
8th and G Streets NW
Washington, DC 20001

Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres

Register at  or contact advancement@elon.edu.

Former ������Ƶ trustee Anne Ellington Powell of Burlington, N.C., died June 27 at her home after a long and difficult illness.

Powell was elected to ������Ƶ’s Board of Trustees in 2008 and was a highly involved supporter and longtime friend of the university. She was the wife of ������Ƶ life trustee and former chair of the Board Dr. James B. Powell and the daughter of the late Dr. Robert E. (Bob) Ellington and his wife, Helen Ellington, who served many years as distinguished ������Ƶ staff members.

“We are deeply saddened by Anne’s passing,” said ������Ƶ President Connie Ledoux Book. “For decades, she was among ������Ƶ’s most loyal advocates, serving on boards and committees, hosting university events in her home and telling the story of our university wherever she went. She and her family have generously contributed to every dimension of ������Ƶ’s growth, supporting scholarships, academic programs, and facilities – always focused on the student experience and excellence. We will always be grateful for her positive spirit and steadfast support.”

In 1986, the Anne Ellington Powell Master Artist Series was established by a gift by the Powells, bringing internationally renowned performers to ������Ƶ for nearly 20 years. In 1988 the Powells dedicated ������Ƶ’s Jimmy Powell Tennis Center to the memory of their first son, who died in early childhood.

Anne Ellington Powell joined ������Ƶ’s Board of Visitors in 2000. She served on the campaign leadership committee for the Ever ������Ƶ Campaign and was on the executive committee of the ������Ƶ Society. The Koury Business Center, which opened in 2006, includes the James B. and Anne Ellington Powell Lobby in recognition of the couple’s leadership support for the building’s construction.

The Powells have contributed to the R.N. Ellington Health Center, the “It Takes a Village” Project, several scholarship funds and ������Ƶ Athletics. The Powells also provided key funding for the Caroline E. Powell Building, the Maude Sharpe Powell Professorship and the T.E. Powell Endowed Professorship. They are members of two ������Ƶ giving societies, the Order of the Oak and the 1889 Society.

Anne Powell was also active in many Alamance County boards and organizations and supported efforts to increase support for K-12 education.

At the center of Anne’s life was her loving family, including her husband, Jim; their three children John Banks Powell, Ross Powell, M.D., and Helen Powell Bode, M.D.; her mother Helen Ellington; and many other loving relatives. She was a devoted friend to hundreds of people who cherished her.

From

Anne was preceded in death by her beloved son, James “Jimmy” Bobbitt Powell Jr.; her father, Dr. Robert “Bubba” Norwood Ellington; and her sister-in-law, Alison Westmoreland Ellington.

She is survived by her devoted husband of more than 41 years, Dr. James Bobbitt Powell; her mother, Helen Arendell Ellington; her brothers, Robert Norwood Ellington Jr. and Dr. Kenneth Scott Ellington (Linda); her sister, Ruth Helen Ellington; her son, John Banks Powell (Samantha) and their daughters, Maeve Eileen and Clara Banks; her son, Dr. James Rosser Powell; her daughter, Dr. Helen Powell Bode (Paul) and their children, Anne Arendell, John Bridges, and Mary Ellington; her stepdaughter, Daphne Powell Markcrow (Craig) and their children, Anna and Henry; along with countless nieces, nephews, cousins, and treasured friends.

A Celebration of her life will be held at Front Street United Methodist Church in Burlington on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 12 p.m. A private family burial will precede the service, and the family will receive friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Duke’s Tisch Brain Tumor Center (Duke University Medical Center, DUMC 3624, Durham, NC 27710), ������Ƶ Tennis Program (CB #2615, ������Ƶ, NC 27244), or the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (269 Hanover Street, Building #3 Hanover, MA 02339).