Committee Co-Chair
Fareeshah Dawood Epeer
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education with Psychology
Class of 2022
Why did you decide to participate in Class Giving?
Fareeshah: I think it is a brilliant initiative that allows students to come together and contribute to a meaningful cause. Hence, when the university invited me to participate, I accepted it even though I’d already graduated. I wanted to contribute as an alumnus!
Can you share with us more about the Tech Grant Fund and the motivation behind starting it?
Fareeshah: When the 2023 committee came together to discuss the various needs of the student community, one consistent thread was the need for technological devices such as laptops and tablets for studies. Although purchasing these devices may be affordable for most of us, it is still an expensive need when pitted against necessities like food and bills. We later learnt that the university had provided grants for students to purchase or replace broken laptops during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were well-received. This signalled a current need in the student body.
Fareeshah (third from the left) with the 2023 Class Giving Committee members.
What was the biggest challenge faced during fundraising and how did the community overcome it?
Fareeshah: Time and manpower. Although we were a big group, we were all busy with our different schedules. Thankfully, we pulled through as a team and managed to run several fundraisers, including virtual ones.
One of these was a booth where we raised funds using tote bags. To garner the students’ interest, we launched a “Design a Tote Bag” competition where the two winning designs were produced and sold at our booth. The entire experience was fun and the bags were well-received!
Why do you think it is important for the SUSS community to come together to do good?
Fareeshah: I strongly believe it goes back to the essence of being an SUSS student. SUSS’s Spirit of Learning is very much intertwined with the spirit of giving. To learn is to give and to give is to learn. If we are blessed with more, it is our responsibility to share our blessings with others. As cliche as it sounds, together we can make a difference!
