Every MSU student, past or present, regardless of his or her major, remembers something about Finals Week. Some remember watching the sunrise from the 3rd floor of the library or midnight scream or study breaks in the dorm caf.
Erin Romanuk remembers the care packages her parents sent full of goodies that took the sting out of non-stop studying.
Now, she gives to MSU’s FAME program every year to help keep her favorite tradition alive for students who need it most. FAME, which stands for Fostering Academics Mentoring Excellence, assembles Finals Week care packages for students who come from foster or kinship care, homelessness, or other out-of-home situations.
“This is a cause that’s near and dear to my heart, because I work with students like this every day,” Erin says—she is the program manager for attendance and discipline for Seattle Public Schools. “They’ve overcome so many odds just to get to college, and this is such a great way to support them during Finals Week, when they may not have a support system back home.”
Lois Furry, '89