Local view: UCF monetary gifts do much for community.
The horrors of war followed University of Central Florida alumnus Josh Rosengren stateside after two tours in Iraq. He sometimes spent the day in a fetal position, rocking back and forth. His father, Jim Rosengren, a 1981 UCF alumnus and a disabled veteran himself, recognized the signs: PTSD.
Jim became aware of a cutting-edge trauma treatment program called UCF RESTORES, which uses customized virtual reality to allow veterans to re-experience the sights, sounds and smells of war. The program has produced results two to three times as great as that reported by VA hospitals, inspiring Jim to commit $1 million to help others in need.
Jim’s gift also will benefit dozens of first responders throughout Central Florida, including many who aided victims of the horrific Pulse nightclub shootings.
Jim is one of more than 70,000 donors who have contributed to UCF’s IGNITE campaign, a strategic effort to raise $500 million by 2019 to support students, faculty and research while achieving local and global impact. Thanks to the generosity of so many, UCF recently surpassed the $300 million mark.
To those who have given: thank you. Your investments in students, faculty and game-changing projects like UCF RESTORES lift Central Florida’s economy — in everything from hospitality to medicine — and transform the lives of people like Josh across our region — and people like me. The generosity of UCF’s founders and early donors gave someone like me the opportunity to experience a highquality education that transformed my life.
Donations to the IGNITE campaign impact thousands of people and support hundreds of programs at UCF and in the community.
Gifts fund scholarships for students who otherwise would not be able to afford a college education, provide resources for faculty members performing groundbreaking research and allow community arts organizations like the Shakespeare Theater and WUCF-TV to enrich our lives.
For instance, community partner Dr. Phillips Charities generously contributed $7 million toward the new UCF Downtown campus, an innovative education within walking distance of jobs and internships that will also transform downtown Orlando.
Revenue from tuition, state funding and other sources is critical, but insufficient for UCF to fulfill our mission as a major metropolitan research university. The IGNITE campaign is about using philanthropy as the margin of excellence in all of UCF’s efforts.
This year, a record 2,045 faculty and staff members gave more than $1 million to support their university. Several hundred graduating students have contributed to an inaugural-class gift that will benefit students for years to come.
Jim Rosengren and our faculty, staff and students are helping us reach our $500 million goal.
Together, we will transform lives and livelihoods across Central Florida and our state.