Last semester, we switched things around in the office and I was invited into the role of “Chapter Person” – yes that’s what we really called it. Since then, I have had the pleasure of being personally connected with our 25+ chapter leaders and working with 10 new students interested in getting involved with Building Tomorrow on their respective campuses.

However, being originally from Memphis and therefore continuously obsessed with the city, I have been hoping to engage more students from the South in our work. That’s where most of my friends went to school and, if you ask me, that’s where all of the good football rivalries are.

So, I’ve planned a road trip to the South – aka Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina – to speak to students, classes, other student organizations, campus ministries, really just anyone with an interest about the work Building Tomorrow is doing and how they can join us in providing access to education in Uganda.

When I was a student at UVA, Building Tomorrow was one of the most important things I participated in. And I took the experience for granted. Looking back, I’ve come to realize how unique it was to work with an international organization and to know exactly how the money I was raising would make an impact.

And that is exactly the message I’m hoping to spread. Young people, college students especially, are in a unique position to make a tremendous impact.

Right now I have plans to speak at the University of Georgia which has 33,267 students. If every one of those students gave just $2 we could build a BT academy in Uganda. I’m also traveling to Samford University where there are 2,882 students. Even there, if every student gave just $1.50, Building Tomorrow could build latrines for an academy, increasing both student and teacher attendance.

The ability to make an impact is there and that’s what I’m hoping to tell the South.

Check out my route and feel free to email me at liz [at] buildingtomorrow [dot] org if you are in or near one of these colleges or universities. I would love to meet up!

-Liz

Schedule:

September 19 – Vanderbilt University
September 20 – Rhodes College
September 21 – University of Memphis
September 24 – Ole Miss, Samford University
September 25 – University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama
September 26 – Auburn University
October 1 – Georgia Tech
October 2 – University of Georgia, Mercer University
October 3 – Furman University
October 4 – Clemson University
October 5 – Davidson College
October 8 – UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State
October 9 – Wake Forest University
October 10 – Appalachian State University
October 11 – University of Tennessee, Knoxville