One final act as students: Members of Pomona College’s Class of 2026 gave back through the Senior Class Impact Project, supporting research, scholarships and internship opportunities for future Sagehens.
Members of the newest class of Pomona College graduates donated to a collective class gift that supports research, scholarships and internship opportunities for the Sagehens who follow them.
More than 21 percent of the Class of 2026 chose to participate in the Senior Class Impact Project before Commencement. This is the second year that Pomona’s Alumni Association Board challenged the senior class by matching each gift with $47 to encourage student giving.
“In speaking with classmates, I found that many people were excited by the idea of supporting programs that felt tangible and directly connected to student experiences,” says Grace Zheng ’26, outgoing Associated Students of Pomona College president.
Based on responses to a class survey, the committee focused on three areas: the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP); the Alumni Scholarship Fund; and the Career Development Summer Student Internship Fund, which supports the Pomona College Internship Program (PCIP).
“There’s a lot of anxiety amongst my class around the impact of AI on the future of work, especially as cuts to research funding are happening at the same time,” Zheng says, who also served on the Senior Class Impact Project committee. “Programs like SURP and PCIP are really important for giving students concrete opportunities to explore potential career paths and develop skills that can help them navigate an uncertain future.”
The Senior Class Impact Project is part of Pomona’s broader efforts to help students understand how philanthropy shapes the student’s experience while encouraging a culture of engagement and giving back, says Elizabeth Torres, assistant director of annual giving at the College. In addition to the Senior Class Impact Project funds, students also made donations to academic departments and athletic teams.
“The objective is not simply to raise funds, but to help students recognize that they are part of a community that invests in future generations of Sagehens,” Torres says.
For Alumni Association Board members, the project is about more than philanthropy — it is about helping students begin their transition from student to alum.
“Senior giving is less about the dollar amount and more about what it represents — a commitment to paying forward the opportunities, mentorship and support that students have received,” says Anne Elsberry ’91 P’14, an Alumni Association Board member. “It’s an early step into the alumni community and a powerful expression of gratitude and belonging.”
Mira Setty-Charity ’26, a Senior Class Impact Project committee member, says students rallied around an important pillar of the Pomona undergraduate experience by supporting scholarships. The Alumni Scholarship Fund helps provide financial aid for students with demonstrated need, ensuring that a Pomona education remains accessible to talented students from a wide range of backgrounds.
“In the face of the suppression of equity-focused programming, having a diverse — in every way — set of students and backgrounds is key to keeping Pomona the institution that it is,” Setty-Charity says.
Making a gift at graduation time can be challenging for seniors, both Torres and Zheng acknowledged.
“Many of us are navigating major transitions, whether that means moving across the country, or moving to another country entirely,” Zheng says. “Others are still trying to figure out what comes next.”
Zheng says that she appreciated that this giving opportunity was framed less around the size of the contribution and more around participation. She hopes that others from her class might still consider making a gift.
“Even a small gift can be a meaningful way to recognize the people and programs that made a difference during your time at Pomona, while making those same opportunities possible for future students,” Zheng says.
Learn more about the Senior Class Impact Project.