October 2006

ALUMNI NEWS

Alumnae Katie McIlhenny (left) and Lori Burns at the Phonathon photo by Melissa Reichley

New Alumnae Bring Fresh Voice, Ideas to Phonathon

Not all students know exactly what they want to do after they graduate, but for Lori Burns, CAS/BA ’06, and Katie McIlhenny, SOC/BA ’05, SOC/MA ’06, the path to their first career was right before them. Both began working at the AU Phonathon as callers their freshman year in 2002, and quickly moved up the hierarchy. When it came time for graduation, their respective jobs became available and they jumped at the opportunity to remain part of an organization in which they’d developed an interest and recognized great potential.

McIlhenny, coordinator of phonathon operations, and Burns, coordinator of the phonathon's direct marketing, are striving to make this year a great success with record numbers. The programs they oversee bring in more than 90 percent of all alumni donations, which raise more than $1 million annually.

“AU has given me so much,” says McIlhenny. “I want to give back and help it become the university I know it can be.”

After working at the Phonathon for four years, these two alumnae have learned about the people they call and the business they now operate. “I love speaking to alumni, even the ones who are angry,” says McIlhenny. “They give me a great insight into AU's history and how they perceive it to be now. Sometimes I''ve received great advice over the phone and sometimes I have given it.”

Neither McIlhenny nor Burns majored in the career areas they're now pursuing, but Burns says she'd like to incorporate it into a graduate degree. “Working here got me interested in marketing, so in my senior year I took several business and marketing classes. I would eventually like to get an MBA,” she notes.

Students who work for the AU Phonathon make nearly 700,000 calls to alumni, parents, and friends each year. Their goal for this (fiscal) year is to secure more than 12,000 pledges. Next time your phone rings and it's an AU caller, give 'em a listen - and a gift of whatever size you'd like to your favorite area at AU.

-Tara Shlimowitz '08

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