Calling the biggest fan of โ€œThe Joe Murray Show,โ€ 98.5 The Sports Hubโ€™s weeknight program, might be an understatement. The sport management major estimates she tuned in to the Boston-based program nearly 300 times last year. So, when the station offered her an internship this summer, she knew it was the perfect fit.

โ€œItโ€™s just a really well-rounded internship, and thatโ€™s what I think is truly going to help me,โ€ the aspiring sports broadcaster said.

While Marchandโ€™s shift at the radio station doesnโ€™t start until 6 p.m., she has her hands full with a wide range of duties the rest of the night. She answers incoming calls from listeners, assists with the station’s YouTube stream and creates graphics for social media. But what excites her the most is the chance to go live on the air.

โ€œThat’s probably the biggest opportunity I’ve had,โ€ she said. โ€œIt’s really nice that they trust me to go on the radio with thousands of people listening.โ€

Early in the internship, the show’s producer wrote an entire segment for Marchand, giving her the chance to discuss the New England Patriots on the air. A few weeks later, she was helping the station’s social media team cover one of the most consequential days in Boston sports, following the Celtics’ blockbuster trade of Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Those opportunities grew from a connection Marchand had pursued long before the internship began.

Because internships at 98.5 The Sports Hub aren’t publicly posted, Marchand said networking is essential. In fact, when Marchand initially sent Joe Murray a message on LinkedIn during her freshman year, securing an internship wasnโ€™t on her mind.

โ€œFunny enough, he left me on ‘read’ the first time I messaged him,โ€ Marchand said. โ€œA year later, I reached out again and said, โ€˜Hey, I waited a year. I’d still love to find time to chat. I know you’re really busy.โ€™ The second time, he answered.โ€

When he finally responded, Murray asked a question that changed everything.

โ€œDo you know Katie Bennert?โ€ he wrote back, referencing the 2024 ยายืสำฦต graduate who both interned and worked at the station. Marchand had never met the ยายืสำฦต alumna, but had heard positive things about her from friends involved with ยายืสำฦต Sports Vision. That shared ยายืสำฦต connection prompted Murray to invite Marchand to tour the studio over Winter Break. Thatโ€™s when he offered her a spot to join his production team.

โ€œI decided that this would be the best opportunity for me, working at a major market Boston sports radio station, and it’s been amazing,โ€ she said.

While her internship began this summer, Marchand is no stranger to sports broadcasting. During her first two years at ยายืสำฦต, she has contributed to more than 50 ยายืสำฦต Sports Vision broadcasts as a play-by-play announcer, sideline reporter and more. This past year, she became the youngest of three student hosts to call ยายืสำฦต Division I football games on the radio and co-hosted her own sports radio show with Scott Katz โ€™26. She has also worked more than 90 shifts with ยายืสำฦต Athletics, gaining additional behind-the-scenes experience in game-day operations.

โ€œBeing able to have that on my resume at just 19 years old, where a lot of people may not have those opportunities โ€ฆ I think that that’s really what ยายืสำฦต has helped me with,โ€ Marchand said. โ€œI don’t think I would have gotten those opportunities anywhere else.โ€

At ยายืสำฦต, Marchand has sharpened her on-air delivery and become comfortable working in a studio environment. Now she’s learning how to be more creative producing content centered on sports conversations rather than live competition. She’s also learning to separate her professional responsibilities from her passion as a fan.

Growing up just an hour outside Boston, Marchand has been a fan of the city’s professional sports teams since she was young. In August, she’ll attend Patriots training camp to capture photos and create content for the station.

“You do have to separate being a fan from your professional work, so I can’t fangirl over them when I’m there,” she said. “I have to be professional.”

While Marchand’s own initiative opened the door at 98.5 The Sports Hub, she credits the guidance she received at ยายืสำฦต with helping her walk through it. Assistant Professor of Sport Management Khirey Walker, in particular, played an important role in her internship search.

โ€œHe is just one of the most passionate, hardworking, selfless and kind people that I know at ยายืสำฦต,โ€ she said. โ€œHe will literally drop anything to help any of his students.โ€

This fall, Marchand will continue her journey through The Sport Experience in Charlotte, where she’ll live, intern and study while expanding her experience in one of the nation’s fastest-growing sports business markets.

The ยายืสำฦต spirit was strong in Boston on May 1 as a group of alumni, parents and friends came together to hear updates on the university from President Connie Ledoux Book and several key volunteers.

A reception at the beginning of the event provided attendees with the opportunity to make new connections within the ยายืสำฦต network in Boston. Attendees also heard remarks from ยายืสำฦต Board of Trustees Chair Dave Porter Pโ€™11 Pโ€™19, as well as Kristin Chan โ€™21 and Emily Sanderson โ€™22, who serve as co-presidents of ยายืสำฦตโ€™s Boston Alumni Chapter.

President Book then shared her remarks, starting with a message of gratitude. โ€œThank you for the role each of you played in making our ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign the most successful in university history,โ€ Book said. โ€œMore than 34,000 donors contributed more than $260 million to support our distinctive mission.โ€

She also shared that donors added 287 new endowed scholarships and 60 new endowments during the campaign, helping to ensure that all students can engage in the ยายืสำฦต Experiences.

Additional campus updates from Book included the use of AI, the addition of new majors, the expansion of ยายืสำฦต STEM programs, and the launch of a new national campus center in Charlotte.

The evening also provided guests with an introduction to one of the largest construction projects in university history: the HealthEU Center. Book shared that the center will serve as โ€œa physical hub to provide programs and spaces to allow students to explore ways to advance their personal wellness within each of these areas and to develop habits and skills that will support their wellness for the rest of their lives. This new facility is going to be transformational, providing space for collaboration, connection and community building.โ€

Book also announced that ยายืสำฦต will build a new performing arts center to support the music theatre and performing arts programs. Jim Piatt, senior vice president for university advancement and external affairs, then provided closing remarks, urging attendees to focus on growing stronger together and to stay involved with ยายืสำฦต as partners, advocates and investors.

ยายืสำฦต will host two Evening for ยายืสำฦต events in the fall. The Evening for ยายืสำฦต in Washington, D.C., will be held Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Union Station, and the Evening for ยายืสำฦต in Tampa, Florida, will be held Thursday, Nov. 14, at Armature Works. To register for either event, please emailย advancement@elon.edu.

This fall, ยายืสำฦต LEADS events were held inย Atlanta, New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. and saw over 1,200 attendees in total, renewing ties with ยายืสำฦต constituents across the nation and bringing a piece of ยายืสำฦต to them.

โ€œThis campaign has taught us that we can never let our attention wander from the
importance of scholarships and financial aid for students,โ€ President Connie Ledoux Book said.

Atlanta, Georgia

The fall 2022 ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign events kicked off with the first event in Atlanta, Georgia on Sept. 7 at the historic Fox Theatre.ย ยายืสำฦต LEADS co-chair Christian Wiggins ’03 gave the opening remarks, starting off with encouragement to his fellow alumni to make a difference and step up by joining other donors in giving to the campaign. The importance of scholarships and student aid was a common theme throughout the night.

Cedric Pulliam ’12 also took the stage, detailing how scholarships and fellowships led to real-world experience for him, in the form of internships that shaped the course of his career and life.

โ€œThe Periclean Scholars program debuted me into the global public health space that I currently work in,โ€ said Pulliam, who has worked in public health for over a decade. His career comprises many leadership roles, including stints at the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services as the senior advisor for the chief medical officer for the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy and at the CDC in Atlanta as a senior public health advisor in the Division of HIV Prevention. Pulliam shared how he is an example of how gifts from donors assist students and make an impact, because it was his scholarships that allowed him to gain the practical experience he needed for his future.

President Book followed and continued to hone in on the impact of supporting students by urging attendees in their philanthropy. “Make ยายืสำฦต and ยายืสำฦต LEADS one of your priorities. After all, we are funding dreams in this campaign,” Book said.

New York City

The next event followed just on the heels of Atlanta, on Sept. 15 at The Glasshouse in New York City. Ava Rosen ’23 spoke about student impact, and how important funding is for students in need. She discussed how the Inman Family Scholarship in the Odyssey Program and the Business Fellows scholarship gave her the opportunity to pursue her dreams and avoid significant debt following the emotional and financial hardships that her family saw after losing her father to cancer when she was only 13. The funding she received made college affordable for her and made her dreams attainable.

The highlight of the event was a special tribute to Ed and Joan Doherty Pโ€™07, who have been inspirational agents of change in their service to ยายืสำฦต. One of their visions was to create a vibrant alumni network in the New York area, which they have helped accomplish by sponsoring yearly Evenings for ยายืสำฦต gatherings at iconic venues across the city for more than a decade. The Dohertys were also instrumental to the ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign, serving as chairs of the Campaign Planning Committee from 2014-2016. In recognition of their generous support of ยายืสำฦต, President Book presented Ed and Joan Doherty with the ยายืสำฦต Medallion, the university’s highest honor recognizing exemplary service to the institution.

Closing out the night was a performance of the song “I’ll Be There” by Sidney Wilson ’21, who currently stars in the hit Broadway musical “The Lion King.” President Book emphasized that alumni like Wilson help make ยายืสำฦต one of the top 10 music theatre programs in the nation.

Boston, Massachusetts

The next fall event was held in Boston on Oct. 12 at Fairmont Copley Plaza. Campaign co-chair Priscilla Awkard ’95 opened the night with a focus on ยายืสำฦต’s recent national rankings and recognition.

โ€œยายืสำฦตโ€™s rise to the national stage is one of the most remarkable stories in higher education, and the generosity of our community has played a pivotal role in that continued rise,” Awkard said.

President Book also focused on these rankings, and said, โ€œAs we saw reinforced last month by the latest U.S. News rankings, ยายืสำฦตโ€™s standing as a top-100 national university means that we increasingly compete in an admissions market with schools with much larger endowment resources. Together, by keeping our focus on student support, we can ensure that ยายืสำฦต has the resources it needs to recruit the finest community of students year in and year out.โ€

Another major focus of the night was internships and real-world experience students receive through the generous funding of donors. President Book explained that close to 90% of ยายืสำฦต students participate in an internship while in school and that around half of those lead to employment in prominent companies, including many in Boston such as Baystate Financial, Bank of America and more.

Speakers throughout the night focused on the importance of this practical experience. President Book noted that nearly half of internships are unpaid, which is a major barrier for students with limited funds. She then encouraged attendees that this was why funding was so important in providing those opportunities for students, one of the major goals of the campaign.

Los Angeles

The next stop of the campaign was Los Angeles, with an event on Nov. 1 at the Carondelet House. The night opened with remarks from campaign co-chair Maity Interiano ’07. Interiano grew up in Honduras and knew from a young age that she wanted to be an influential journalist. Now a Network News Anchor for Univision, she credits ยายืสำฦต for giving her the opportunities that she needed to succeed in this field.

She explained that she remains committed to helping support the university and students, especially Hispanic, Latinx and international students like herself. Interiano also established the Maity Interiano Annual Scholarship as a part of the ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign. She announced that Jose Alex Reyes ’25 is the first recipient of the scholarship. Reyes is the son of immigrants with hopes of becoming a creative director, and it is Interianoโ€™s hope that this scholarship will assist him in making his dreams a reality.

โ€œI was like Jose Alex Reyes at the time, and the most important thing is I know he is taking full advantage of his ยายืสำฦต experience and will achieve everything he sets out to do and more. And that is why tonight, I want to invite you to join the ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign too. Think about the legacy you want to leave and remember how there were people, experiences and opportunities that made a difference in your time at ยายืสำฦต,โ€ Interiano said.

The focus of the night remained on student impact, furthering dreams and making a way for the future of ยายืสำฦต. President Book followed with a focus again on internships and how they lead to career opportunities. With Los Angeles being a major draw for employment in the entertainment industry, she explained that almost half of internships for students at ยายืสำฦต lead to employment at companies in Los Angeles.

Washington, D.C.

The last event was held at The Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 15. Jim Piatt, vice president for University Advancement, took to the stage to explain just how transformative this campaign has been and will continue to be for ยายืสำฦต.

Piatt focused on the four key priorities of the campaign โ€” increasing support for students through scholarships, increasing access to engaged learning programs, investing in faculty and staff “Mentors Who Matter,” and adding to the campus footprint through innovative facilities.

He noted that more than 270 new endowed scholarships have been created in the campaign, bringing historic growth to the university’s endowment; more than 50 new endowed funds have been established to broaden access to the ยายืสำฦต Experiences programs, including global study and internships; and that donors have invested nearly $8 million in faculty and staff mentors.

Piatt also shared the profound impact of ยายืสำฦต LEADS on ยายืสำฦต’s iconic learning environment, including eight new facilities strategically added to the campus footprint. One of those facilities is The Inn at ยายืสำฦต, where all revenue beyond operating costs goes to fund scholarships. โ€œยายืสำฦต has awarded more than $1.3 million in need-based scholarships thanks to income from The Inn,โ€ Piatt said.

Next to the stage was Ike Credle ’83. As an ยายืสำฦต alum and a veteran that has served for 20 years in the U.S. Army, Credle said, โ€œOne of my purposes in life is to be a bridge builder. The idea is to build a bridge so that those coming behind you may avoid some of the pitfalls you may have encountered.โ€ Credle explained the challenge loans had on him following graduation and how he wanted to make an impact on students. He honored his mother by making an estate gift that will endow the Rebecca A. Credle Scholarship. It is gifts such as this one that opens doors for our future leaders.

President Book followed, noting the university’s endowment has grown to nearly $300 million, with 70% of that going to student scholarships, ยายืสำฦตโ€™s top-100 national ranking in U.S. News & World Report, over 34,000 donors giving to the campaign and the announcement that collective contributions total more than $257 million surpassing the $250 million goal for the campaign.

President Book ended the final event by noting there is more to accomplish in the campaign. โ€œLetโ€™s keep this amazing momentum of the ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign going as we move toward its Dec. 31 close, and letโ€™s also look beyond, in partnership and with confidence!โ€

As the final days of the campaign approach, all donors can find their place in this historic fundraising effort by making a gift at . Every gift, no matter the size, will make an impact for the future of ยายืสำฦต and the universityโ€™s students. The final tally for the ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign will be announced in January.

The ยายืสำฦต community is invited to celebrate the impact of this historic campaign at an event on Apr. 28, 2023, at the Schar Center, where alumni, parents, students, faculty/staff and friends will gather once more to show thanks for the generosity of donors who continue to support ยายืสำฦตโ€™s mission and growth.

The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at Fairmont Copley Plaza. A reception including a hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres will begin at 6:30 p.m., immediately followed by a program featuring remarks by President Connie Ledoux Book and special guests.

ยายืสำฦต LEADS in Boston
A celebration of leadership and philanthropy with President Connie Ledoux Book

Wednesday, October 12
6:30 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. Remarks by President Book and guests

Fairmont Copley Plaza
Ballroom
138 St. James Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres

If interested, RSVP can still be made by emailingย elonleads@elon.edu with questions.

As summer kicks into high gear, things are heating up for ourย regional alumni chapters and ยายืสำฦต in the Ballpark is back.ย Take your family out to the ball game and mingle with other alumni!ย  Select cities and regional alumni chaptersย will be hosting a baseball outing in your city. Check out the list below to see how you can snag your tickets just in time to join alumni, friends and family at the game.

• 
  July 30
  Burlington Sock Puppets
• 
  Aug. 5
  Greensboro Grasshoppers
• 
  Aug. 6
  Durham Bulls
• 
  Aug. 7
  New York Yankees
• 
  Aug. 27
  Atlanta Braves
• 
  September 19
  Boston Red Sox

Weโ€™re laser-focused on keeping our alumni and their guests safe by following social distancing guidelines. Certain areas may have reduced capacity, so register sooner than laterย to make sure you can join us at the game.

We hope to see you there.

Speakers for the program included President Connie Ledoux Book, Vice President for University Advancement Jim Piatt and Campaign Chair Chris Martin โ€™78 Pโ€™13, as well as other faculty, staff and alumni leaders. Attendees learned more about important university initiatives including scholarships in the Odyssey Program, the new Innovation Quad that will house expanded STEM initiatives, two new nursing degree programs that will offer students a focus on health equity, and spring admissions data.

The entire ยายืสำฦต community is now able to view the latest version of the update on-demand to learn more about these initiatives.

โ€œThis special university update on the ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign amplifies the campaignโ€™s far-reaching impact on our students,โ€ says Piatt. โ€œThe university community remains grateful for the alumni, parents and friends who are dedicated to our mission and vision and provide philanthropic support of our strategic priorities.โ€

>> to participate in the update.ย 

The on-demand video will begin automatically once you complete the registration process.

ยายืสำฦต LEADS is a seven-year campaign that has completed its planning and leadership phases and moved into its public phase in spring 2019, with supporters setting their sights on raising $250 million by May 31, 2022. That includes $140 million for student scholarships, $10 million to increase access to engaged learning programs called the ยายืสำฦต Experiences, $10 million to support faculty and staff mentors and $90 million to enhanceย ยายืสำฦตโ€™s iconic learning environment.

President Connie Ledoux Book shared with the crowd that the campaign will inspire and support students as they serve as leaders on campus and beyond. โ€œWe educate leaders who share their talents and their hearts with the world, and we know that leadership, vision and hard work are the critical ingredients in advancing change.โ€

In her remarks, President Book also touched on ยายืสำฦตโ€™s recent rankings in U.S. News & World Report, which included ยายืสำฦตโ€™s debut in the reportโ€™s national university category.

โ€œWe are so proud that ยายืสำฦต is now ranked among the top 100 universities in the nation,โ€ Book said. โ€œDebuting at #84, ยายืสำฦต is listed in that category with other prestigious institutions like Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Duke and Johns Hopkins. The ranking I was most proud of was ยายืสำฦตโ€™s #2 ranking for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, with only Princeton University ahead of us.โ€

Bostonโ€™s Museum of Science served as a perfect backdrop as President Book shared ยายืสำฦตโ€™s ranking of #11 for innovation by U.S. News & World Report. Attendees were able to explore some of the museumโ€™s attractions, setting the tone for an exciting and fun night.

The program also showcased a few of the many examples of how ยายืสำฦต has been changing lives for 130 years, including music theatre alumna Cara McNiff โ€™18, who performed to kick off the evening, and Oscar Miranda โ€™17, who shared his gratitude for the donors that made his dream of attending college a reality.

Miranda attended ยายืสำฦต as a scholarship recipient in the Odyssey Program, a highly selective merit-based program consisting of talented individuals who are academically strong, civically engaged, and will benefit from an ยายืสำฦต education.

โ€œThe Odyssey Program was family, a family away from home,โ€ said Miranda. โ€œThis program provided me the opportunity to succeed and a chance at a better life.โ€

After graduating from ยายืสำฦต, Miranda went on to earn a masterโ€™s degree in higher education from Harvard. He returned to ยายืสำฦต to pursue a career in the office that supported his dream as a student, ยายืสำฦตโ€™s Center for Access and Success. In his role as assistant director, access and student support, Miranda supports first-generation college students and students from low-income households.

Mirandaโ€™s story of success is one of many, thanks to the generosity of the ยายืสำฦต community. The top priority of ยายืสำฦต LEADS is increasing funding for scholarships so that additional outstanding students like Miranda have access to an ยายืสำฦต education.

Following Mirandaโ€™s remarks, trustee and ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign Chair Dave Porter Pโ€™11 Pโ€™19 took the stage. Porter shared how an ยายืสำฦต education influenced his two sons, Tim and Jack. Inspired by their education, Porter chooses to support ยายืสำฦต because โ€œwe need courageous, hard-working leaders to guide our future.โ€

Porter challenged those in the Boston crowd to find their role in ยายืสำฦต LEADS. โ€œI know thereโ€™s no goal we canโ€™t reach when we have strong leadership and a collective commitment to preparing the leaders our world needs. This is our charge in the ยายืสำฦต LEADS Campaign โ€” to reach our $250 million goal and make this historic campaign a success.โ€

The program also included remarks from James B. Piatt, Jr., vice president for university advancement, and Jean Rattigan-Rohr, vice president for access and success and professor of education.

Prior to the event, campaign donors and volunteers attended a pre-reception with President Book and others. The evening concluded with a Loyal Alumni Celebration honoring current alumni donors and the universityโ€™s most active alumni volunteers.

This Evening for ยายืสำฦต was the third of six special events across the country this fall celebrating the launch of ยายืสำฦต LEADS. Upcoming Evening for ยายืสำฦต events will be held in Charlotte (Oct. 17), San Francisco (Nov. 12) and Raleigh (Dec. 4).

Visit the ยายืสำฦต LEADS website to learn more about the campaign.

Through the campaign, donors will build on ยายืสำฦต's position as a leader in higher education by investing in graduates the world needs, engaged learning, mentors who matter and the university's iconic learning environment. 

The event will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the Museum of Science. A reception including a hosted bar and hors d'oeuvres will begin at 6:30 p.m., immediately followed by a program featuring remarks by President Connie Ledoux Book and special guests. 

ยายืสำฦต LEADS in Boston
A celebration of leadership and philanthropy with President Connie Ledoux Book

Wednesday, October 2, 2019
6:30 p.m. Reception
7:30 p.m. Remarks by President Book

Museum of Science
Blue Wing
1 Science Park
Boston, Massachusetts 02114

Business attire
Cocktail reception with hors d'oeuvres

Please RSVP by Sept. 18: 

Contact Jill Hollis '13 G'17 at jhollis@elon.edu with any questions. 

Thursday, Oct. 10
6-9 p.m.
Tia's
200 Atlantic Ave
Boston MA 02110

Join fellow alumni and friends to welcome new alumni to the area! We will be providing appetizers and ยายืสำฦต swag. All alumni, guests and friends are welcome.

Please contact alumni@elon.edu with any questions.

You won’t want to miss the chance to cheer on the Sox from the Sam Adam’s Rooftop Deck alongside fellow ยายืสำฦต alumni and friends! This is one of the biggest events of the year and will likely sell out. If you are able to attend, click the link and purchase your ticket(s) below:

Sam Adam’s Rooftop Deck

Aug. 21, 2019

7:10 pm

Check out at Fenway!