Alumni Blog

Seattle University’s Day of Service is coming up on Saturday, April 13. There will be numerous sites where the Redhawk community can live out our mission of serving others and giving back to the communities we call home.

One of those sites is Cougar Mountain Zoo in Issaquah, sponsored by the Women of SU alumni chapter for the second year in a row. Women of SU Service Chair Ellen Montanana, ’17, is excited to work with a new group of volunteers to help create a better environment for the animals and visitors.

“Day of Service is one of my favorite events because it is a chance for Redhawks from all different alumni and student groups to come together to help make our community a better place,” Montanana says.

Volunteers at the zoo may be tasked with a number of different activities to help clean up areas around the animals’ exhibits and improve the experience of visitors. Depending on weather, these tasks may include weeding, raking around the exhibits, picking up debris and assisting with landscaping. With many ways to contribute, volunteers of all interests and abilities are welcome.

“I think the best part of volunteering with Cougar Mountain Zoo is seeing all the different animals,” Montanana says. “Last year, the zoo staff did an exceptional job in teaching us about the different animals at the zoo and all the ongoing conservation efforts. This is a great learning experience for all volunteers and is proof that learning doesn't stop when you leave school!”

Last year's group of volunteers also had the opportunity to go behind the scenes to the “Tiger Tunnel” and see Taj the Tiger up close and personal. Montanana is looking forward to volunteering again and making new memories this year.

Montanana fully realizes the benefits that volunteering offers. “It brings me a lot of joy and a sense of accomplishment to give back to my community,” she says. “And it’s allowed me to make some really great friends and connections along the way.”

There are many ways to give back through Day of Service, including serving food to community members in need at Recovery Café or sorting donations for women and families experiencing homelessness at Mary’s Place. And Day of Service isn’t limited to the Seattle area. Redhawks across the country can participate at service sites in Portland, San Francisco, and Dickson, Tennessee. Check out our 10-plus service sites to find the opportunity that is right for you.

SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER

Redhawks, get ready to soar! On Thursday, February 29, giving takes flight as the entire Seattle University community invests in the departments, programs and clubs closest to our hearts.

Seattle U Gives dedicates 24 hours for alums, staff, faculty and friends of the university to donate to initiatives enhancing the student experience and enriching the campus community. On this one day a year, we can all unite to make a difference in the areas that mean the most.

While gifts can be made to a variety of areas and programs around campus, this year we highlight one particular fund that lends support campuswide—the SU Fund.

Aptly named, the SU Fund provides crucial funding for anything and everything Seattle University—the fund is directed to the areas most in need. From maintaining the campus’s beautiful gardens to providing integral funding for research, this fund amplifies SU’s ability to be nimble and responsive and to make an immediate impact. As an unrestricted fund, SU retains the ability to decide where to use the funding, as opposed to a restricted fund that limits the use of a gift to a designated area. 

PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT 

At Seattle University, 96 percent of incoming undergraduates receive financial aid. Along with the generous scholarships already established for students with affiliation to specific colleges, departmentsand backgrounds, nearly one-third of the SU Fund annually bolsters SU’s ability to offer additional scholarships to ensure affordability for the next generation of Redhawks. As families recover from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic challenges, there is tremendous financial need from incoming students. The SU Fund plays a major role in alleviating these needs and ensuring that students can focus on school.

SUPPORTING OUR FACULTY 

How could we hope to equip our students for success without investing in our faculty? The SU Fund helps provide professional development opportunities for faculty so they have the tools necessary to prepare our students to be the kinds of leaders the world so urgently needs.

Additionally, the SU Fund is one of several funds supporting the integral work of reimagining and revising SU’s curriculum through the Provost Fellows—a group of 30 faculty leaders working to review and revise the curriculum of all 75 undergraduate and graduate departments and programs. Today, Provost Fellows are creating a curriculum that employs Ignatian pedagogy and prepares students to respond to the great challenges facing our society, from sustainability and climate change to racial injustice and rapid technological change.

ENHANCING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

The SU Fund is used to equip classrooms and labs with the resources necessary to ensure student academic success. It also supports the maintenance of the beautiful outdoor spaces and recreation facilities that contribute to the well-being of the campus and community as a whole.

Our multifaceted students need different types of support to be successful, which is why The MOSAIC Center (Meaningful Opportunity for Student Access, Inclusion and Community) leverages support from the SU Fund to provide programs and resources for students of color, first-generation and undocumented students, LGBTQIA+ and veterans and military-connected students, commuter and transfers and graduate and adult learners.

THE SU FUND IS SEATTLE UNIVERSITY’S FUND 

By supporting the SU Fund, you contribute to ensuring that Seattle University has the resources to provide the quality, transformative student experience we are known for—preparing leaders to build a more just and humane world. 

Support the SU Fund here and view other campus initiatives that inspire you here.