The MUW Foundation

Hard work. Commitment. Tenacity. Connections. These are the primary ingredients for success in achieving goals. Every graduate who walks The Long Blue Line understands this, for it is these very traits that are necessary to complete a degree, or even a class, at Mississippi University for Women. But the story never stops there. Lives are changed after attending The W, and the academic and life lessons learned are forever a part of each former student’s future.

The Mississippi University for Women Foundation was established to continue the many connections between the university and its students by bringing together alumni from all walks of life with the common interest of furthering the positive influence of MUW on its students. A look back at a career always reflects the influence of a college education. A look forward allows each of us to see the opportunity to give the gift of that positive W influence to others just starting out on their life journey. The W has always made every effort to be the best value offered for post-secondary education without sacrificing any quality, and that commitment has opened doors for many students who otherwise could not afford to attend college. Gifts from the Foundation, which is gifts from alumni and friends like you, allow private monies to fund scholarships, athletics, facilities, programs, and endowments. Every student is touched in some way by at least one of these categories, allowing every gift to “Be the Light” for many students. For this reason, “Be the Light” is a very apt name appropriately describing the purpose of providing opportunity and changing lives, one student at a time.

The hard work of the silent phase of the “Be the Light” campaign has been completed successfully, opening the way for public involvement in reaching our $25 million goal. With $18 million already pledged, a little tenacity in finding those generous donors will get us to the finish line. I ask everyone who was touched by The W in any way to consider paying those memories and positive experiences forward by choosing to “Be the Light” for the future of The W.    

Jenny Katool, Class of 1978

Chair, MUW Foundation Board of Directors