Hannah Carroll, Campus Carrier Staff Writer

Berry College is promoting its new “Always Berry” campaign with the initiation of Always Berry Week, April 1 through April 5.

The purpose of Always Berry is to promote and foster the idea that the Berry community will always be there for mentorship and support to students, according to Content Producer of the Alumni Engagement Office Jennifer Wright. The week will act as a celebration of mentors and those who have impacted the lives of students within the Berry community.

“Always Berry Week is meant to promote the idea that the Berry community is always there for each other, always connected, whether you are a freshman just finishing up your first year here or you’re 20, 30, 40, 50 years out,” Wright said. “It’s a way for us to connect the current students with the alumni and focus on the mentorship and impact Berry people have had on one another.”

Awareness for the week was first raised on March 19 with the release of a new video series that showcases the Berry experience through the testimony of current students, alumni and President Steve Briggs. The videos show stories of mentorship that they have given and received as a member of the Berry community along with their first impressions and favorite memories of Berry.

The event is being sponsored by the Alumni Engagement Office and partner Student Philanthropy Team, along with various other student organizations, such as resident assistants and student-athletes, according to Wright.  The week will consist of tabling in Krannert lobby from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day and will feature a photo display manned by students.

The photo display is an opportunity for students to honor the mentors in their lives through a Polaroid taken of them, on which they will write the names of those who have influenced their lives. The Polaroid will be placed on the photo display and shared across Berry’s social media. To have a picture taken, students must first donate $1 to the Save a Student Scholarship, a scholarship awarded to junior or senior students who experience an emergency that prevents them from attending Berry or graduating on time, according to Wright.

The week will conclude with Scholarship Night, an invite-only event that gives donors the chance to meet and connect with the students they have impacted with their bestowed scholarship. The photo board featuring all the Polaroids collected over the week will be displayed at the event.

Berry College promotes a community of fellowship and support that continues after graduation. Always Berry week is aimed to demonstrate this sense of generosity that helps the continuing support of Berry prevail.

For more information on Always Berry as the campaign progresses, visit: https://www.berry.edu/alumni-parents-friends/always-berry/

For more information on Save a Student Scholarship, visit: https://www.berry.edu/alumni/saveastudent/