Mariah Smith might be new to this whole adulthood thing, but she’s pretty sure she wouldn’t be where she is—or who she is—today without MSU.
She’s a 2016 graduate of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and an alum of both the Tower Guard and the Association of Future Alumni. She’s a Solutions Consultant at Google (yes, that Google). She’s officially a San Franciscan, having tackled the big post-college move-away-from-home with aplomb.
And at the age of 24, she’s already a philanthropist, giving back to three places that shaped her experiences at MSU, her worldview, and the amazing career trajectory she still can’t quite believe she’s on.
True to her generation’s reputation for tech-savviness, her gifts to MSU are charged automatically to her credit card on a monthly basis through recurring giving. It’s like Netflix, but better.
Better because the College of Communication Arts and Sciences is getting money to help the next generation of Mariahs find the things they’re passionate about and pursue real-world experiences in a supportive environment.
Better because the Tower Guard is getting money to continue awarding its yearly scholarship to members who need it the most.
Better because the Empowerment Fund at the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (where Mariah volunteered extensively as a member of Tower Guard) is getting money to expand opportunities on campus and off for students with disabilities.
“I had scholarships and grants, and I saw the impact of giving up-close when I was in school. I always knew that I would want to give back, too,” Mariah says. “Signing up for recurring giving was the perfect way for me to do it, because now, I don’t even have to think about it…I just get to enjoy knowing that every month, I’m doing something good for those three causes that are really close to me at MSU.”