Behind the Numbers

Mentors Who Matter

Elon is nationally known for providing a deeply personal education marked by close relationships between students and their faculty and staff mentors. Through the Elon LEADS Campaign, donors gave close to $8 million to support outstanding faculty and staff mentors whose powerful relationships with students help drive Elon to the #1 national ranking for undergraduate teaching.

By investing in this campaign priority, donors supported faculty and staff initiatives that keep them on the leading edge of knowledge in their fields and promote student success in the classroom and beyond.

 

$8 millionraised

Dr. Jo Watts Williams The largest endowment gift in Elon’s history named the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education in honor of the beloved alumna who served Elon as an educator and administrator for more than 75 years. The $10 million gift was made by the Williams family, including Jo’s son Lee Williams III and Dr. Randall Williams and his wife Elizabeth.

The Williams family gift brought transformative resources to the school to support 10 annual Dr. Jo Watts Williams Teaching Fellows, Elon’s highest award for students pursuing teaching careers; 10 annual Dr. Jo Watts Williams Scholars awards for students participating in the partnership between Alamance-Burlington Schools, Alamance Community College, and Elon University; and 20 scholarships in Elon’s renowned Odyssey Program to support students with high financial need, including first-generation students.

In addition, the gift included funding for the Dean of the School of Education, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams Endowed Emerging Scholar, and the Watts Williams Community Excellence Fund, supporting the Elon Academy, the It Takes a Village Project, and Service Year programs.