CALDWELL, Idaho — "Every institution has a story. The College of Idaho has its own story, but more importantly, what has really made the story of the college is the story of others," said Jack Cafferty, vice president for College Relations at The College of Idaho.
The College of Idaho is "changing the story" with a $150 million campaign.
Watch to learn more about the campaign and the goal for the college's future:
The goal isn't to enhance the 135-year-old campus, but to enrich its students' education through four key areas: academic excellence, enriching experiences, access to scholarships, and endowment & planned giving.
"Academic excellence, access to education, and scholarships, right, and then these high-impact practices that we've been known for— for many, many decades," said Jack Cafferty, vice president for College Relations at The College of Idaho.
In the campaign's history, the college has added 10 new endowed chairs, which Cafferty says is absolutely stunning for any institution.
"It's fantastic for any institution to add 10 endowed chairs, but more importantly for us here at the College of Idaho, this is what's really going to propel us forward and really help change our story," Cafferty said.
The endowed chairs serve a dual purpose: funding current faculty members and helping recruit new faculty to Caldwell, Idaho.
"Number one, to be able to fund our faculty members, but more importantly, as we look to the future to recruit faculty members here to Caldwell, Idaho, this really is a leg up to have all these endowed chairs," Cafferty said.
Vice President Jack Cafferty emphasized how this will impact future students — welcoming those from across Idaho's rural districts, and right in the college's own backyard.
"Having raised about $46 million in additional scholarship funds, that's what we really have to do to change the story of students here in Idaho — to have an opportunity to come, have a world-class education here at the college," Cafferty said.
While initiatives of this scale take time, Cafferty says the support has already been tremendous.
"We're really proud of the fact that over 30,000 people — 30,000 gifts in particular — have helped us get to where we're at with $129 million," added Cafferty.
"I feel very honored and blessed to have had this experience. College is one of those amazing times in your life where you know its start date and you know its end date. Nothing else in life has that," said Christian Benishek, a student at The College of Idaho.
Senior Christian Benishek tells me his college experience working in environmental studies gives him hope that future students will get to experience the same opportunities.
"I realized, oh my gosh, nowhere else would I be able to have this experience than at a place that welcomes these students and provides an open door for them. I'm a firm believer that there are doors all around us, and the Changing the Story campaign helps open those doors for students," said Benishek.
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