UVI Alumni Pays it Forward and Wins Trip
Two decades ago Julie Arter attended the University of the Virgin Islands and she still gives back to her alma mater.
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Julie Arter at 1992 Commencement Ceremony
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“I believe that UVI gave me the foundation that I needed to achieve the things that I now have," Arter touted. “To be able to utilize, up to this day, some of what I have learned while attending UVI, proves that the academic structure was and still is well designed and delivered to enable students to succeed.”
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Arter was one of two alumni of the University to win the “55 for 55”: The Great Alumni Challenge hosted by UVI’s Alumni Affairs Office in commemoration of the University’s 55th Anniversary.
Julie Arter, who now resides in Flint, Michigan is a graduate of the Class of 1988 and Vernice Rogers, a resident of St. Kitts, is a graduate of the Class of 2011.
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| Vernice Rogers in elementary school classroom in St. Kitts - 2018 |
“Over the years, I have contributed to UVI so it was not hard for me to donate to the challenge,” Arter said. My giving, is to know that I am helping the university to meet its goal in providing a great educational experience to students,” she said.
“It gives me great pleasure and satisfaction to have the
opportunity to give back to my alma mater and in so doing, assist current and
future students achieve their academic goals,” Arter added. “I strongly believe that giving back or
helping others to achieve is very important for the growth of our society. UVI has shaped my higher education and I
enjoy having the chance to play a part in shaping current and future students'
higher education.”
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| Julie Arter in Accounting class at UVI |
“UVI is unique in that its students and professors have a more interactive relationship. Students are not seen as numbers but as individuals to be molded to face the working world and to be successful in whatever direction their career path takes,” she added.
“I graduated in 1988 with an Associates of Arts degree in Office Assistance and Administration,” Arter said. “I immediately continued my studies and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and an Associates of Arts in Data Processing,” she said as she recounted her years spent at the then College of the Virgin Islands (CVI), which later transitioned into the University of the Virgin Islands in 1986.
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| Julie Arter in Commencemt regalia - 1988 |
With the contribution of Arter, Rogers and others, UVI alumni have set a ground-breaking record having donated to their alma mater $55,000 collectively. The commitment of anonymous donors to gift an additional $55,000, if the alumni was able to meet the $55,000 target of the challenge, saw the fundraiser totaling $110,000.
