Ball State Foundation Blog

Engagement and Impact

Category: Features

  • Women of Beneficence Award $70,000+ in Grants
    August 12, 2025 by

    Since 2002, the Ball State University philanthropic group Women of Beneficence (WOB) has granted more than $1 million and supported over 60 projects and programs that have impacted students and benefited our local, national, and international communities.  In March 2025, three grants totaling over $70,000 were awarded. The first grant was awarded to Drs. Melissa […]

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  • Ensuring Access and Opportunity for Students
    August 12, 2025 by

    24 percent.    That is the average graduation rate of first-generation college students in the U.S., according to FirstGen Forward, a nonprofit organization dedicated to first-generation student success, research, and advocacy.  In contrast, the graduation rate of continuing-generation college students in the U.S. is 59 percent. Considering that first-generation students represent more than half of all […]

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  • On A Mission To Engage
    August 12, 2025 by

    Gretchen Coffman, ‘88, still remembers the feeling of stepping outside the airport and into the busy London streets for the first time. A Ball State junior at the time, she arrived to work with oil and gas company British Petroleum (BP) as part of a summer program offered by The State University of New York […]

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  • Resilient Leadership with Karthicka Krishnasamy
    June 30, 2025 by

    Grit. Humility. Curiosity. These values, developed and nurtured at Ball State University, have shaped every chapter of Karthicka Krishnasamy’s journey. Karthicka’s path has taken her from India to Ball State, and eventually earned her the title of Vice President | OMNI Customer Growth, Experiences & Value Add on Services at Walmart. She has learned to […]

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  • Ball State University Black Alumni Council: Taking Initiative in Student Success
    February 27, 2025 by

    For over thirty years, the Black Alumni Council at Ball State University (formerly the Black Alumni Constituent Society) has fostered engagement, networking, and mentorship while supporting students through scholarships and conferences. Committed to advancing the educational, professional, and social interests of students both individually and collectively, the council continues to be a vital resource for […]

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