Unlock Every Ole's Potential 🔑

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!! Every contribution, no matter how big or small, has made a positive impact on the work we do to continue supporting our AMAZING students! UM YAH YAH!!!! 

There's still a little time left to make your impact! Every dollar and share helps!

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College is a big transition! That's why every first-year Ole is paired with a Success Coach. Coaches help students adjust to living and learning on the Hill, connect with essential resources, and develop the skills they need to thrive. They are  friendly faces and  valuable sources of support. Your gift during Giving Days will directly impact students' success. Invest in Oles - give today!

Abby Engbrecht ‘24 joined TRIO Student Support Services for Students with Disabilities (SSSD) as one of its first members in spring of 2021. Recognizing the program's potential, a friend encouraged her to apply, and Abby quickly became a passionate advocate. She embraced SSSD's mission, becoming a voice for the disability community on campus, including serving as a Peer Leader. SSSD provided crucial support, helping Abby navigate her college experience while managing her disabilities. Thanks to this support, Abby graduated from St. Olaf with honors, and more importantly, with a positive college experience and a strong sense of self. Now, as an Academic Advisor, she continues to serve the SSSD program, providing the same invaluable support she once received. Your gift  will ensure future students with disabilities have access to these transformative opportunities. Make your gift today to support Oles like Abby. 

We are absolutely blown away by the incredible support you've showed with your gifts so far! We are excited about all the new and innovative ways we can support our students with your generous gifts! 

There's still 12 hours left to give and share our page to encourage others to give! Let's keep the momentum!

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The Academic Success Center continues to be agile and innovative as the needs of students grow and change. Thanks to generous donors we have been able to develop impactful programs like  SI and SOAR, dedicated to helping Oles succeed in every aspect of their education!  When students find success they want to pass that success to others through leadership and work opportunities.  To meet students, we deploy a number of peer-led programs. We continue to expand and cultivate our resources to ensure that every Ole can thrive!

Our SOAR leaders make an impact on every student. By supporting these vital programs, you directly empower Oles to reach their full potential and shape a brighter future. Invest in their success – give today!

St. Olaf’s globally engaged community includes multilingual and international students from around the U.S. and 90+ countries. In the Academic Success Center, these students both receive services and provide services, often becoming peer leaders themselves! Your support allows us to give each student the individualized attention and mentoring that helps them feel welcome, build skills, and use their strengths on campus.

Exciting News! A generous donor couple has offered another $20,000 if 100 more donors give today! Make your gift now!

St. Olaf's commitment to innovative, interdisciplinary learning shines through in programs like the Individual Major. The Academic Success Center's dedicated Individual Major Program advisors provide crucial support for students pursuing this unique path from their very first idea to their senior capstone presentation and beyond. 

Your gift will empower these students to shape their own academic journeys and continue St. Olaf's tradition of self-directed education.

Academic Tutors support Oles in 18 different academic subjects at St. Olaf, including STEM, languages, and music. This past Fall semester, 395 students utilized 1,869 tutoring appointments! Tutors help students thrive in St. Olaf’s rigorous academic curriculum, building both their knowledge AND resiliency!

Emily Hynes '18 grew up in the small, rural town of Winnebago, Minnesota, never personally knowing anyone who had earned a Ph.D. As she began her first year at St. Olaf, earning a doctorate or pursuing a career in research was not on her radar. Then the St. Olaf TRIO McNair Program showed her what was possible. With the help of McNair program, she was accepted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. McNair program put Hynes in contact with another St. Olaf TRIO McNair alumni, Aaron Harcus '13, who had earned a Ph.D. in music theory at City University of New York (CUNY) and was now an assistant professor of music theory at UNC. "Aaron was so wonderful and relatable, and I felt like our shared backgrounds as Oles and TRIO McNair Scholars made me more comfortable asking him hard questions about philosophy and literary criticism that I was scared to ask other professors," Hynes says. Dr. Harcus was on Emily’s dissertation defense committee when she completed her Ph.D. in musicology in May of 2024. Dr. Hynes is now an Adjunct Professor of Music at UNC-Greensboro, the Music and Tech Director at Barriskill Dance Theatre School in Durham, North Carolina, as well as an active performer.

Oles are known for their success and resourcefulness, and that’s no accident. They thrive in our rigorous academic environment thanks to a robust network of support services geared towards the first year class. Programs  like SOAR and Success Coaching, are making a huge difference, contributing to an impressive 92% first-year retention rate for the Class of 2027. Your gift fuels this success. By supporting these vital programs, you directly empower Oles to reach their full potential and shape a brighter future. Invest in their success – give today!

The Writing Desk helps every student grow as a writer and express their voice. This year, 518 students found  writing support in 1,443 sessions at the Writing Desk! Ole's know that critical writing and literacy skills are even more important after the advent of generative AI tools. 

Writing tutors support Ole's through every step of the writing process, and even offering support for speaking and research skills.

Students come to St. Olaf for the supporting community and a more personalized education. Success Coaches are an integral part of the first year experience and a vital part of each student’s advisory team that includes academic advisors, SOAR peer leaders, and career coaches. Whether it's helping students map out their academic plans, manage their time, or connect with campus resources, our success coaches ensure every Ole receives the support they need.

Your gift will help ensure every Ole has a team of dedicated advocates and guides throughout their college experience, empowering them to thrive and reach their full potential at St. Olaf and beyond.

#StOlaf #UmYahYah #OlesGive #OneOleAtATime

The Academic Success Center houses the Engage Program, TRIO McNair Scholars and TRIO Student Support Services for Students with Disabilities, which are all dedicated to supporting first-generation and low-income students as well as students with disabilities. From DAY 1 on the Hill, these students have resources and a community of people dedicated to their success, thanks to you! 

The TRIO McNair graduate-school preparatory program provides research experiences for first-generation college students, serving over 250 students since 2007; 100% have completed research, internships or other high impact practices, 63% of McNair graduates are enrolled in or have completed graduate programs and over 85 St. Olaf faculty have served as research mentors!

“The SOAR leaders were so welcoming to me when I came to college. They made my transition so much easier and helped me feel confident going into my first year.”   

SOAR isn't just orientation; it's a launchpad for success. It's where students meet their first friends, learn about campus resources, and build the confidence they need to thrive. Make your gift and help more first-year students thrive at St. Olaf.

#StOlaf #UmYahYah #OlesGive #OneOleAtATime

98.8% of first-year students in the Class of 2028 have connected with their peers through SOAR! That's the power of community. 

Starting college can be daunting, but SOAR helps students find their place from day one on the Hill. Support SOAR during Giving Days and help Oles start St. Olaf in Community.

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1,009 students. 7,374 hours. 66 courses. 39 Leaders. That's the impressive impact of Supplemental Instruction (SI) at the Academic Success Center! Generous gifts have made this impact possible, enabling students to master challenging coursework through collaborative study sessions led by trained peers. To ensure Oles continue to thrive and these vital resources reach even more Oles, make your gift during Giving Days and help us make an even bigger impact!

#StOlaf #UmYahYah #OlesGive #OneOleAtATime

At St. Olaf, we're dedicated to empowering every Ole to unlock their full potential. For decades, the Academic Success Center has been a cornerstone of that commitment, providing vital support through programs like tutoring, advising, and TRIO McNair Scholars. 

Now, we're building on this strong foundation with  innovative resources designed for today's students. These include SOAR (year-long first year orientation program), SI (Supplemental Instruction sessions for all students in difficult courses), Success Coaching, and TRIO Student Support Services for Students with Disabilities (SSSD). 

Join us as we invest in the future of Ole success, one student at a time

#StOlaf #UmYahYah #OlesGive #OneOleAtATime