Brand Identity

Donor header

Barbara Kerr

Barbara’s story showcases MOBILITY. As a first-generation alumna and donor, her story illustrates the opportunity a student at UCR has to find opportunity not only while on campus, but for the rest of their lives. 

Sound Bites

Headlines

  1. She’s securing a chance at education for generations to come
  2. Student's academic aspiration can take center stage because of her

Hooks

  • Food, housing, transportation, clothing, textbooks... higher education can be out of reach for many simply because of the pressing non-tuition-based costs that come along with it. UCR alumna and philanthropist Barbara Kerr is working to eliminate these immediate basic needs as an obstacle to student dreams.
     
  • More than half of UCR students are the first in their families to attend college, many of whom receive federal Pell Grants, offered to undergraduates with exceptional financial need. Alumna Barbara Kerr’s gifts ensure that these students have their immediate needs met so their academic dreams can take center stage.
     
  • Barbara Kerr fell in love with UCR because of how the university takes care of its students. Both as an alumna and now a philanthropist, her impactful legacy will live on as one that alleviated the weight of pressing need, and let their academic aspiration take center stage.

Quotes

  • “I loved UCR [as a student], but I love it even more now because of the way the university takes care of its students. I was a first-generation college student, so what UCR does is very close to home for me. To me, it is all about the future. Investing in public education — pre-K through college — prepares the next generation of doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, and leaders who energize our economy and make our communities better. The gift that I am making will provide vital support that will directly impact student success." Barbara Kerr
     
  • “Since things change so rapidly, dictating what future students will need is hard, but there will always be a need. As teachers, we want to be remembered for making the world a better place. I can't think of a better way than to support UCR." Barbara Kerr

Narrative

50% of students at UC Riverside are the first in their family to attend college. Barbara Kerr was among those first-generation students when she earned her B.A. in English as a transfer student. Today, she’s left a bold legacy of service and philanthropy on campus that will care for the immediate needs of UC Riverside scholars for generations.

After graduating from UC Riverside, Kerr's career eventually led her to become the president of the California Teachers Association. She was named the third most powerful person in Southern California by the LA Times in 2006. After an invitation from friend and fellow UCR alum, Ken Noeller, Kerr came back to campus as a mentor and member of the UC Riverside Alumni Association. She went on to create an endowed scholarship for immediate student needs and won the Alumni Public Service award in 2004. Through her dedicated support of UC Riverside students, she hopes that academic aspirations aren’t thwarted by pressing needs.

Alumni of UC Riverside carry the UC Riverside spirit wherever they go. We say they’re a Highlander for life. Kerr is but one example of how the bold and brilliant students at UC Riverside become bold and brilliant forces of good in our local and global community. As teachers, mentors, benefactors, and beyond they leave legacies that ensure upward mobility for generations to come.

Strategy

As a first-generation student with a deep connection to the UC Riverside campus, an awareness of what might get in the way of upward mobility for the students on campus, and a dedication to removing those obstacles, Barbara Kerr’s story is a fantastic showcase of mobility at UCR.

Her story and quotes are best used in:

  • Brochures
  • Proposals
  • Appeals – print, email, and digital
  • Conversations

Suggested uses:

  • When building relationships with alumni who have the capacity to give, share Barbara’s story as an example of ways alumni can engage and deepen their relationship with UCR.
     
  • When discussing the lifetime impact of an education at UCR, and a donor’s capacity to create generational change, share Barbara’s story.
     
  • When showcasing how a gift to UCR goes further than it might at another university, share Barbara’s story

Resources

  1. Article: https://planmygift.ucr.edu/?pageID=3&storyNum=3 
  2. Photo: https://planmygift.ucr.edu/org_files/155/images/ds_images/Barbara_full-size_med.png 
  3. Article: https://education.ucr.edu/news/2022/06/06/soe-donors-and-alumni-create-five-new-endowed-scholarships-support-student-success 

Usage Examples

Brochure & One-Sheet:

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