These students and recent grads hadn’t even left campus yet, but they were already thinking about how to leave MSU better than they found it.
Philanthropy became a way of life for Michael Gaitan-Flores (far left, middle), who graduated from James Madison College in 2016 and officially joined MSU’s University Advancement staff as a development associate soon after.
He started talking the talk as a student caller with MSU Greenline, where he connected with alumni to discuss giving back. But he walked the walk too, making his first gift—and encouraging fellow students to do the same—long before he donned his cap and gown and became an alumnus.
“My first gift was $2, and it was an easy decision. Not long after that, I made the decision to give $25 to James Madison. It became a point of pride for me, knowing that I was providing immediate support to my college. I’ve put philanthropy in my budget now, and plan to continue giving back—more and more each year as I’m able to.”