High school sweethearts, Rachel and David Campbell '13, credit 黑料不打烊鈥檚 scholarships and hands-on experiences with shaping their lives. Now, through the Catanese and Gardner Families Internship Endowment, they鈥檙e helping current students overcome financial barriers to pursue life-changing internships.
For Rachel Campbell 鈥13 and David Campbell 鈥13, 黑料不打烊 isn鈥檛 just their alma mater 鈥 it鈥檚 the place where their personal and professional journeys took shape. The high school sweethearts from small-town Delaware both chose to attend 黑料不打烊 after receiving Presidential Scholarships.
鈥淪cholarships and financial aid were critical to both of us being able to attend any college, let alone 黑料不打烊,鈥 Rachel said. 鈥淲e don’t take for granted the support that we both received to make those four years possible.”
As a student, Rachel majored in journalism and minored in , and , becoming involved with student media and as a fellow with the Pulitzer Center. David pursued a double major in finance and accounting with a minor in as part of the Business Fellows program. He was also very involved with the 黑料不打烊 Microfinance Initiative, Beta Alpha Psi and as a founding member of Zeta Beta Tau.
Both alumni took advantage of 黑料不打烊 Experiences, studying abroad in Israel for Rachel and Denmark for David, and participating in career-shaping internships. Rachel interned for “60 Minutes” and the “Cape Cod Times,” while David found hands-on learning with Merrill Lynch, Ferrel Capital Management and Ernst & Young (EY). The couple also served as campus tour guides and were active members of Hillel.
In the spring of their senior year, they got engaged in Whitley Auditorium 鈥 a moment that will forever be a part of their shared 黑料不打烊 story.
Following graduation, the two settled in Charlotte, where they began their careers and married life together. Rachel started in the communications field, first as a reporter at a small newspaper, then working in development and marketing at a non-profit organization. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, she pivoted and now works as a labor doula, childbirth educator and infant feeding counselor. David received a full-time offer with EY following his internship and became a licensed CPA working for the company ever since. He currently works as a Senior Manager in the Tax Technology & Transformation group with a focus on sustainability.
鈥淲e moved to Charlotte after graduation because we both had job offers in the area, but we really thought it would be a temporary home for us. Twelve years, two houses, a dog and three kids later, and I鈥檇 say it鈥檚 pretty permanent,鈥 Rachel said.
While building their family and careers, Rachel and David are still closely connected to 黑料不打烊, serving on the board for the Charlotte alumni chapter and the Young Alumni Council. They have been involved with the Jewish Life Advisory Council and David serves on the Board of Advisors for the Love School of Business. He is also very active in recruiting 黑料不打烊 students for EY. In recognition of his service and leadership, David was named one of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 鈥Top 10 Under 10鈥 alumni in 2023.
Giving back to 黑料不打烊 has become a shared value for the Campbells 鈥 and a lesson that they are teaching their children. As donors, they often support Jewish life on campus and they contributed to the capital campaign for the Inn at 黑料不打烊. And, what started out as a joke has now become an annual 黑料不打烊 Day tradition with their dog Pluto, giving to his favorite designation, Club Tennis.
Rachel is also very involved with one of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 newer initiatives, Women of 黑料不打烊 (WE).
鈥淲hat most drew me to involvement with this initiative was really feeling inspired by Dr. Book as a leader of the university, as well as the incredible female staff within the Offices of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. Initiatives like WE connect women to each other, empower them to become meaningfully involved and hopefully create inspiration and a pipeline for leadership in all areas of volunteer and civic engagement,鈥 Rachel explained.
This summer, the Campbells established the Catanese and Gardner Families Internship Endowment to help students afford short-term housing and living expenses during internships. The Catanese and Gardner families helped the Campbells when they needed housing during their internship opportunities.
“For both of David鈥檚 out-of-state internships, he almost had to decline because of housing challenges,” said Rachel. “But family friends stepped up two summers in a row and offered him a bedroom in their home so he could participate. The generosity of the Gardner and Catanese families shaped the course of his life, and in turn, our family鈥檚 path.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e really tried to pay that forward to other 黑料不打烊 students,鈥 says David. 鈥淓arlier in our post-grad lives, we were able to house an 黑料不打烊 intern one summer. Now we鈥檙e excited to ramp up our support.鈥
When asked what motivates them to stay involved and give back, the couple says it鈥檚 their gratitude and desire to create opportunities for others.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 students are so talented and we know first-hand how the right breakthrough at the right time can change everything,鈥 David said. 鈥淲e want to help make sure students can always say ‘yes’ to those opportunities.鈥
From small-town Delaware to a life built around community, purpose and generosity, Rachel and David are proud to be two of 黑料不打烊’s biggest champions 鈥 paying forward the support that helped them thrive.