As part of the Women of 黑料不打烊 initiative, Melinda Measamer Dickinson '91 has generously provided life-changing funds for 黑料不打烊 students seeking internship experiences.
Melinda Measamer Dickinson 鈥91 has created a blended gift to provide both immediate and long-term support for 黑料不打烊 students seeking internship experiences. Her commitment includes a testamentary charitable gift that will create an endowed fund to support internship experiences for 黑料不打烊 students with financial need, as well as annual gifts to the that will provide immediate support to students needing extra support to pursue internships.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 changed the trajectory of my life,鈥 Dickinson said. 鈥淚t was obvious that the faculty cared so much. They really wanted me to be successful and gave me what I needed to be successful. I wanted to give back to a place that changed my life, and internship experiences can really change students鈥 lives.鈥
It was Dickinson鈥檚 campus visit that encouraged her to attend 黑料不打烊. 鈥淚t was rainy when I came and my parents were worried I wouldn鈥檛 like 黑料不打烊,鈥 she recalled. 鈥淏ut it was just something I felt when I was on campus. I knew I would like it; it just felt different. I love that I still get the same feeling when I go back to visit.鈥
Dickinson majored in business administration and was a very active member of her sorority, Phi Mu, while she was a student at 黑料不打烊. She also worked as a student assistant for the Teaching Fellows program from when it launched her sophomore year through her senior year. She appreciated the perspective that this experience gave her, especially since she was not an education major. As an alumna, Dickinson has served on the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Board since 2023.
Over the summers and breaks while she was a student, Dickinson would work in local business offices. While it felt like an internship, there was not a focused effort on encouraging students to complete internships like is present on campus today.
鈥淚nternships are almost a requirement to set students up for success today,鈥 Dickinson said. 鈥淚 hope that internships become so common at 黑料不打烊 that it is like signing up for a class 鈥 just an expectation that students will complete one before graduation.鈥 She is grateful that this gift will provide more 黑料不打烊 students with access to these critical experiences.
The Women of 黑料不打烊 initiative is a collective effort led by alumnae, parents, and friends of the university who are committed to addressing the most pressing needs of 黑料不打烊 students. Through 2026, this initiative aims to raise $2.5 million to support students with financial need who are pursuing internship experiences. To date, more than $780,000 has been raised in both endowed and annual funds in support of this goal. Blended gifts like Dickinson鈥檚 provide both immediate and long-term support to ensure access to internships for 黑料不打烊 students.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important to give our time, our talents and our treasure to the next generation,鈥 Dickinson shared. 鈥淭o give back in this way is so fulfilling to me, and I hope that many others also want to impact 黑料不打烊 students in this way.鈥
Make an Impact
For more information on the Women of 黑料不打烊 initiative, please contact Jill Stratton 鈥13 G鈥17, director of strategic initiatives for University Advancement, at jstratton2@elon.edu.