Life's Asterisk

by: Paige Witthar

We often tell children they can do anything they want in their lives. However, there is an asterisk we forget to include--* with an education.  Higher education refines the existing talents and gifts of students; it is the foundation for careers and gives wings to students' dreams. But college is just as much a learning experience about life as it is a learning experience in a lecture hall. It exposes students to people, situations, and ideas they wouldn’t otherwise encounter. I have matured in countless ways during my three years at SMU: I have friends with backgrounds very different than my own, and I’ve slowly been introduced to adult responsibilities like paying rent and living courteously with other people. Additionally, I’ve become a better collaborator and learned to become my own advocate. I see the world through a higher quality lens because of my undergraduate education. I believe in SuccessFunding because it places power in the hands of students. It frees students from the burden of excessive student debt and provides them with greater freedom to make their educational decisions. SuccessFunding empowers students to chase their dreams using the tools they gained in college. Student debt turns these tools into heavy weights. SuccessFunding also offers fans, or donors, freedom that traditional forms of giving do not. Fans can choose whom their money goes to and donations aren’t absorbed by administrative costs. The traditional depiction of a donor is someone who gives millions of dollars to have their name on a building or an endowment. A fan can see the difference encouragement and a $10, $20, or $50 donation have in the life of a student. Education nurtures Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Debt hinders these Rights. SuccessFunding assures that education will prevail. Paige Witthar is a senior marketing major with an entrepreneurship concentration at Southern Methodist University. She works as a marketing intern for SuccessFunding and is a member of our inaugural SMU beta group.