On Thursday, November 16, 2017, John Jay College celebrated its fourth Annual Day of Giving at John Jay. Within the span of 24 hours, 244 donations were made raising a total of $100,026.87.

This Annual Day of Giving, the College identified four priority areas: the Student Emergency Fund, The John Jay 2020 Scholarship, DACA and Undocumented Student Support, and the Annual Campaign.

The Student Emergency Fund offers financial assistance and services to students facing economic challenges, hunger, homelessness and other hardships. The John Jay 2020 Scholarship is a pooled fund with the goal of creating $5 million in new scholarships by 2020. Donations to DACA and Undocumented Student Support go towards providing resources for undocumented students on campus, including the creation of a New America Student Support Center. Gifts to the Annual Fund are used where the need of the College is greatest.

By contributing a gift to the Annual Day of Giving, donors supported John Jay’s promising students so that they can succeed in their future careers.  One of those students is Lisa Cho.

When Lisa Cho's family was robbed at gunpoint at their restaurant, Lisa, who was only six at the time, was forever changed. Her parents moved from China to the United States shortly thereafter to ensure that Lisa and her older siblings would have a safe and successful future. DACA gave Lisa the chance to apply for a TheDream.US scholarship to earn her degree. "When I got the scholarship I was so happy because that meant my parents didn't have to find a way to pay for my tuition," she said. It would have been even more difficult otherwise.

Lisa is now a sophomore studying criminology and one of many DACA students enrolled at John Jay. Lisa's heart is set on using criminal justice to help people in need: "I experienced a crime at a young age, and my family never got the justice we wanted. Now, I want to become a lawyer. I care about the lives of minorities."

The College thanks everyone who contributed to making this year’s Annual Day of Giving a success.

“I want to say thank you for showing your strong support for our students and their continued success at John Jay,” said President Karol Mason. “On behalf of the entire John Jay community, I want you to know that you have made a significant difference in the lives of our students.”