As Elon prepares for the new academic year ahead,聽we celebrate聽the accomplishments and the incredible support of donors聽during this past聽fiscal year.

Learn聽more聽below聽about the impact that donors聽made聽in 2025-26.

Giving: How donors invested in students

Elon provides聽an聽exceptional聽education, unique in the opportunities that are provided to students from the very beginning. Donor support helps bridge the gap between an ordinary education and unlocking the potential of all that Elon has to offer.聽From hands-on learning and mentorship,聽to聽Elon Experiences like study abroad and research, students聽can聽take advantage of what makes Elon special with the help of donor funding.

Donor generosity from the 2025-26 fiscal year will continue to聽impact聽students for years to come. Here are just a few of the ways in which donors invested in students this past year:

• $31.8 million raised for students
• 6,337 alumni donors
• 4,208 parent and grandparent donors
• 1,021 faculty and staff donors
• 364+ funds impacted
• 11 new planned gifts totaling $5+ Million
• 搁别肠辞谤诲-产谤别补办颈苍驳听Elon Day 2026聽raising $3.5 million
• Top funds supported: Elon鈥檚 Greatest Needs, Elon Student Scholarships, Academic Schools & Departments, The Phoenix Club and聽HealthEU

Student success: What donor gifts made possible

Thanks to donor support,聽Elon鈥檚 Odyssey聽Program聽reached a new milestone, welcoming the largest cohort in Elon history.聽You can learn more about this accomplishment on Today at Elon.

Donor generosity also led to a successful year for聽student-athletes. This year marked a 48% increase聽for聽annual giving to support Phoenix Athletics compared to just聽five聽years ago. Twenty student-athletes presented their research at the Spring Undergraduate Research Forum, and 93 student-athletes graduated in May 2026.聽All of this聽in聽addition聽to winning multiple CAA championship titles!聽

More than 1,500 students walked across the stage to accept their diplomas during聽Commencement 2026. Thanks to donor support, students were able to see their dreams聽realized.聽Visit Today at Elon to read the stories of graduating seniors to see how donors helped them along the way.

Community:聽How we strengthened聽Elon together

Elon’s network continues to thrive because of the engagement of alumni,聽families, faculty,聽staff聽and friends.聽Their聽involvement is what makes the university so special, strengthening our community and creating opportunities for future generations.

These accomplishments illustrate聽the聽tremendous impact of involvement with Elon:

Alumni

• 10,550 engaged alumni
• 186听alumni events聽with聽3,547 attendees
• 2,427 alumni returned for聽Homecoming and Reunion Weekend
• 2,523 alumni served as volunteers
• 296 shared their love for Elon as聽Social Media Ambassadors
• 33听Women of Elon聽events聽with聽368 attendees
• 811 participants in聽Lifelong聽Learning and聽Professional聽Development
• 1,523 alumni participated聽in聽
• 67 reunion committee members

Families

• 6,881听聽attendees representing聽1,939 families
• 32 Summer Welcome Events with聽756 attendees聽in聽23聽States
• 364 鈥淩eady, Set, Elon!鈥� virtual attendees
• 116听FAMbassadors
• 7 parent聽Webinars听飞颈迟丑听967听础迟迟别苍诲别别蝉

Faculty & Staff

• 42 Giving聽Captains
• 4 Co-Chairs for聽Faculty & Staff Giving
• 105 Elon Day Champions

Together, these聽accomplishments聽tell聽the story of an extraordinary Elon community and its enduring commitment to giving back. Thank you to our 2025鈥�26 fiscal year donors for investing in our students and their future.

As thousands of soccer fans streamed toward San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, draped in national flags and chanting hours before kickoff, the energy was palpable.

Swiss fans dressed as cows rang cowbells, Australian fans carried enormous inflatable kangaroos, and Jordanian supporters congregated early outside the gates, waving oversized flags and singing in unison. Together, they created the spectacle that makes the FIFA World Cup unlike any other sporting event.

For , those moments were part of her daily routine during the tournament鈥檚 opening stages.

As a ticketing operations manager for FIFA, the 福利亚洲国产精品 graduate spent several months helping fans enjoy the FIFA World Cup. While much of her work happened behind the scenes, Cirby handled everything from validating each seat in the stadium and accessible seating requests to one of the tournament鈥檚 toughest challenges: helping fans who unknowingly purchased counterfeit tickets.

鈥淭he more games have been played, the more variations of fake tickets have come out,鈥� she explained.

While resolving ticket issues is part of the job, it represents only a fraction of Cirby’s experience. For all six Bay Area matches 鈥� including Team USA鈥檚 Round of 32 win 鈥� she served as the stadium ticketing manager and welcomed more than 410,000 fans to the region she grew up in.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the World Cup,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 once in a lifetime to be able to be part of an event like this.鈥�

Cirby joined FIFA in January after nearly six years with the San Francisco Giants, where she built a career in ticket operations and services with her hometown team. But the opportunity to work the World Cup was one she couldn’t pass up.

鈥淚 was just kind of looking for jobs casually, just to see what was out there, and I threw in an application 鈥� and then it worked out,鈥� Cirby said.

Her responsibilities have stretched far beyond match days. Cirby helped hire local stadium staff, prepare cross-functional training for various departments, and ensure FIFA’s ticketing spaces were ready before fans arrived. Once matches began, she moved between entrances and ticket offices, supporting staff and assisting fans whose tickets would not scan, who needed accessible seating accommodations, or who could not locate their tickets.

The role also gave Cirby a front-row view of the tournament’s global fan culture.

鈥淚t鈥檚 mesmerizing to see these fans and the passion that they have,鈥� Cirby said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 get to see the full fan marches, but I get to see them arrive at our entrance and go through our turnstiles, and they鈥檙e still chanting and cheering.鈥�

Cirby’s path to FIFA began at Elon, majoring in sport management. She fondly remembers attending MLB’s Winter Meetings with her classmates, where she placed resumes in the mailboxes of organizations with job openings.

鈥淚 probably put 20 to 30 resumes in and got a couple of interviews, but that鈥檚 how I got my first job with the Atlanta Braves right out of college,鈥� Cirby said.

That first role with the Braves eventually led to opportunities with the Giants and, ultimately, FIFA. Looking back, Cirby encourages students interested in the sport industry to cast a wide net.

鈥淗onestly, just apply,鈥� Cirby said. 鈥淧utting yourself out there and applying can make a real difference.鈥�

Her World Cup assignment also demanded resolution. For nearly two months, Cirby was based at a hotel in Santa Clara with other FIFA staff because of the long hours and the proximity to the stadium. The work has been especially demanding because Cirby has been doing it with a torn ACL, an injury she sustained this spring playing in a rec league kickball game. After consulting with doctors, she decided to postpone surgery until after the tournament.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really funny to be like, 鈥楴ot only am I working the World Cup, but I鈥檓 walking like 25,000 steps a day on a torn ACL,鈥欌�� Cirby laughed.

With surgery scheduled for late August, Cirby is looking forward to a well-earned break 鈥� and where her career will take her next. But this experience has reaffirmed why she chose a career in sports.

鈥淚 grew up playing soccer through high school, and I鈥檝e continued to be a big fan,鈥� Cirby said. 鈥淪eeing supporters from so many different countries bring that passion to every match has been the best part of the job.鈥�

The 鈥淓lon Dance Team Send-Off鈥� video, directed and edited by Peter Sillitto 鈥�26 and produced in collaboration with the Elon Dance Team, received a Sports Video Group (SVG) College Sports Media Award for Outstanding In-Venue Video 鈥� Collegiate Student Championship. The award was presented May 27 in Atlanta during the 18th annual SVG College Sports Media Awards ceremony.

The honor came just weeks after the Elon Dance Team captured two national titles at the 2026 National Dance Association College National Championships, winning the Division I pom and Division I hip hop competitions. The back-to-back victories marked a historic achievement for the program, including Elon鈥檚 first national championship in the pom category.

Produced for the team鈥檚 trip to nationals, the video took a more narrative approach than previous send-off productions.

鈥淧roducing a send-off video is something we do every year, with the final piece being shown in the Schar Center and shared across social media,鈥� said Sillitto, a cinema and television arts major. 鈥淭his year, we wanted to take a more story-driven approach by focusing on the team鈥檚 journey to nationals. Our goal was to showcase not only their performances, but also the hard work, dedication and experiences that led them there.鈥�

In addition to Sillitto, the student production team included Kristen Pearson 鈥�27 and Meghan McGarrigle 鈥�28 as producers; and Zack Golub 鈥�26 and Colin Dorroh 鈥�27 as creative producers and camera operators.

across multiple locations, capturing both cinematic visuals and authentic moments from practices, workouts and team activities.

鈥淥ne of the biggest challenges was making sure we told the team鈥檚 real story, which meant being present and ready to film during genuine moments,鈥� Sillitto said. 鈥淐apturing those authentic interactions and experiences was an important part of the creative process and helped make the final video feel more personal and meaningful.鈥�

For Sillitto, the award reflects months of collaboration and effort from both the dancers and the production crew.

鈥淚鈥檓 proud of the project because every year our goal is to create the best video possible, and we have a lot of creative freedom to experiment with new ideas and push ourselves creatively,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he final video represents months of hard work from both the dance team and the production crew, so we鈥檙e excited and grateful that the project has been recognized.鈥�

Sillitto graduated from Elon in May and recently accepted a position with Booz Allen Hamilton as a videographer and social media content creator.

Sillitto and Dorroh attended the 2026 SVG College Summit in Atlanta alongside Anthony Bamford 鈥�25, coordinating producer for Elon Sports Vision; Patrick Cunningham, director of live broadcast production for Elon Athletics; and students/recent graduates Philip Doherty 鈥�26, Anthony Eppolito 鈥�27 and Joey Marinello 鈥�28.

This year marked another strong showing for Elon at the national competition 鈥� the university won its first-ever award in 2025. In addition to the winning Elon Dance Team send-off video, four other Elon productions were recognized as finalists in the Collegiate Student Championship division: 鈥淔ootball: Elon vs. North Carolina A&T,鈥� 鈥淪trength Beyond the Game 鈥� Brodie Carroll,鈥� 鈥淲in The Moment 鈥� Asher Cunningham鈥� and 鈥淲hat It Takes 鈥� Elon Men鈥檚 Basketball Halftime Hype.鈥�

The Chandlers remain impressed by Elon鈥檚 commitment to sound strategic planning and doing what鈥檚 best for students. It鈥檚 what inspired the couple鈥檚 gift to Slattery Center, the university鈥檚 new hub for health and wellness that will integrate academics, wellness, campus recreation and fitness programs to ensure students gain the skills they need to succeed on campus and throughout their lives.

Scheduled to open later this year, Slattery Center is located within Elon鈥檚 Innovation Quad, home to the university鈥檚 engineering and other STEM programs. The center is part of the university鈥檚 broader HealthEU initiative to serve students, faculty and staff.

鈥淚t adds value and is beneficial when you can provide a place where students can go to be in community, exercise, receive counseling and focus on their well-being,鈥� said Bob Chandler, former executive vice president of Chandler Concrete Co. 鈥淭his facility shows that the university is aware of the challenges students face and how to help them in all aspects of their health.鈥�

The HealthEU initiative focuses on six dimensions of health and wellness: community, emotional, purpose, financial, physical and social. The three-story Slattery Center will feature new classrooms, student-faculty research spaces, multiple floors for wellness and fitness activities, and the Mark and Kim Tyson Counseling Center, which will provide individual and group therapy, as well as workshops and outreach programs.

Through coursework, as well as workshops and training programs focused on health and wellness, Slattery Center will impact all students as they progress through their education and learn essential skills and practices related to wellness and well-being. The center is a key priority of the Boldly Elon strategic plan that will guide the university to 2030.

The couple鈥檚 gift will also endow the Chandler Family Global Experience Fund, strengthening Elon鈥檚 commitment to provide each of the university鈥檚 17 varsity teams with a global experience every four years.

鈥淕lobal experiences are a cornerstone of an Elon education, and thanks to Bob and Amy Chandler, our student-athletes will have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the world while sharing their sport across cultures,鈥� said Jennifer Strawley, director of athletics. 鈥淏ob and Amy are truly special people who value the holistic development of our student-athletes and their generosity will be felt for generations. I am deeply grateful for their many years of dedication to this university and for the profound difference they make in the lives of our student-athletes.鈥�

鈥淥ur family has been sports fans for as long as I can remember. We love the energy and excitement athletics brings to campus and the opportunities it provides to students,鈥� Bob Chandler said.

鈥淓lon is a national leader in global study, and we are thrilled to help provide this experience for student-athletes,” he added. “It鈥檚 essential that students have the opportunity to witness other cultures and encounter the differences and similarities of the people there. It provides tremendous growth for a person and a deeper understanding of the world.鈥�

The Chandler family is among Elon鈥檚 most generous and devoted donors, helping to shape one of the finest learning environments in the nation through their gifts to Belk Library, Rhodes Stadium, Ernest A. Koury, Sr. Business Center, Gerald L. Francis Center, Alumni Field House, Richard W. Sankey Hall, Schar Center, The Inn at Elon and Innovation Quad.

Bob Chandler鈥檚 parents, Tom and Lynn Chandler, also endowed the Chandler Family Professional Sales Center in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Tom Chandler was the chairman and former CEO of Chandler Concrete, which he founded in 1973, and he served on Elon鈥檚 Board of Trustees for more than two decades before being elected Life Trustee in 2021. In 2023, Tom Chandler received the Elon Medallion, the university鈥檚 highest honor.

鈥淓lon鈥檚 trajectory shows remarkable advancement,鈥� Bob Chandler said. 鈥淓lon has a vision of what鈥檚 to come and how to keep the university moving forward. It is a vibrant and thriving university that is gratifying for the students, faculty and community.鈥�

The university鈥檚 influence extends far beyond the campus.

鈥淭he impact that Elon has on Alamance County and the region is significant, and we feel it鈥檚 important for our family to support the university,鈥� Bob said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a community that we are proud to be part of.鈥�

The top-seeded Phoenix took the doubles point over the No. 2 seeded Tribe with wins on Courts 1 and 3.聽Simone Bergeron聽and聽Mariana Reding聽won at the top spot to set up the clinching victory by Kranec and聽Cornelia Kack聽on Court 3. Elon then then won three singles matches, with victories from Kack, Reding and Kranec, who clinched at the No. 5 spot.

Elon has won back-to-back CAA championships, with both championship match victories coming against William & Mary.聽With the win, Elon secured the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship.

The Rundown

• Elon won a crucial doubles point with victories at the Nos. 1 and 3 spots.
• On Court 1, Bergeron and Reding went down an early break but stormed back for a 6-2 triumph against the Tribe’s top tandem of Sia Chaudry and聽Francesca Davis. It was their fifth straight win together and their 13th of the season. The duo improved to 4-0 together in the last two CAA Tournaments.
• Kack and Kranec聽seized early control of their match on Court 3 on the way to a decisive 6-2 win that clinched the opening point for the Phoenix. The pairing is 14-5 together this spring and won matches in both of Elon’s CAA Tournament victories.
• This was the second time Kack and Kranec clinched the doubles point for Elon against William & Mary this season, as they also did so on April 3 in Williamsburg.
  Madison Cordisco聽and聽Alexis Nyborg聽trailed 5-3 on Court 2 when the doubles point was clinched.
• The Tribe evened the score with a win at the No. 4 spot.
• Kack nudged the Phoenix back in front with a convincing 6-1, 6-1 result over Chaudry on Court 1. It was Kack’s 13th win of the spring, 10 of which have come in straight sets. Kack is 6-1 since moving to the No. 1 singles position and went 4-0 against conference opponents this spring.
• William & Mary again pulled even with a victory on Court 6.
• In a back-and-forth battle on Court 3, Reding won the final four games in a final set to deliver a crucial point for the Phoenix. Reding came from an early break down to win the opening set against Tilda Larsson but found herself in a deciding frame. Reding fell behind 4-2 in the final set but broke back for 4-3 in the next game.
• Looking to consolidate the break, Reding fell behind 0-40 in her next service game. However, she dug her way out of the hole and won a deuce point to hold for 4-4.
• Reding broke in the next game to go ahead 5-4 and successfully served out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory in the ensuing service game. The win extended Reding’s winning streak to 12 matches as her 15 singles victories lead the Phoenix this season.
• This was just Reding’s second completed match to reach a third set this season and was the second three-set victory of her CAA Tournament career.
• Bergeron fought back to force a deciding set after dropping the first on Court 2 against Davis, breaking serve in the final game of the second set to push the match into a third. The match stayed on serve with Bergeron missing on a break point chance at 4-4. With Bergeron serving to stay in the contest in the next game, Davis won another deuce point to close out a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 for the Tribe that leveled the match at 3-3.
• While Bergeron’s match was finishing, Kranec was engaged in a dramatic tussle on Court 5 that proved to be the final match on court. Kranec dropped the opening set against聽Rebeka Svabikova but held serve four times in the second to get the score聽to 4-4. In the ninth game, Kranec won a deuce point to break聽Svabikova’s serve and then served out the set to sent the tilt into a third.
• Kranec took early control聽in the decider, going ahead 3-0 after a hold, break and another hold. However,聽Svabikova got the break back and pushed the match set to 5-5. In the 11th game, Kranec manufactured a crucial hold of serve to go ahead 6-5 and force聽Svabikova to serve for a tiebreak.聽Svabikova successfully held to force the contest into a championship-deciding tiebreak.
• In the tiebreak, Kranec sprinted out of the gates, winning the first point on her own serve before winning the next two points on聽Svabikova’s serve. Kranec then won both of her next two service points and took a 6-0 lead into the change of ends.聽Svabikova saved the first of six championship points but missed wide on a ground stroke on the second as Kranec secured the clinching 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1) win for the Phoenix.
• The win was Kranec’s second of the spring to come in a third set and the first of her career in a third-set tiebreak. The sophomore improved to 3-0 in completed CAA Tournament matches with the triumph.
• It was Kranec’s聽10th victory of the spring and the eighth to come at the No. 5 spot. She has now won two dual singles matches in her career after dropping the opening set, both coming in CAA championship matches against William & Mary.
• This was Elon’s second 4-3 victory over the Tribe in Williamsburg this season, as the Phoenix also defeated William & Mary by that scoreline on April 3.
• The Phoenix has now won four straight matches against the Tribe, a streak that started in the 2025 regular season. Elon won both matches against the Tribe in Williamsburg this season after losing its first five road matches in the sereis.
• The victory was Elon’s first to come by a 4-3 score in a CAA Tournament match since 2022 in the semifinals against College of Charleston.
• Elon has now won back-to-back conference championships for the first time as a Division I program.聽The title was Elon’s third under head coach聽Elizabeth Anderson, who also guided the Phoenix to the 2014 SoCon championship.
• The match was played indoors due to afternoon rain in Williamsburg.

Up Next

Elon will return to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season and for the third time as a Division I program. The NCAA Selection Show is set for April 27.

Results

Singles
1.聽Cornelia Kack聽(Elon) def. Sia Chaudry (W&M) 6-1, 6-1
2. Francesca Davis (W&M) def.聽Simone Bergeron聽(Elon) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
3.聽Mariana Reding聽(Elon) def. Tilda Larsson (W&M) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
4. Mira Kernagis (W&M) def.聽Alexis Nyborg聽(Elon) 6-1, 6-0
5.聽Lisa Kranec聽(Elon) def,聽Rebeka Svabikova (W&M) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1)
6.聽Ale Gonzalez-Galino (W&M) def.聽Madison Cordisco聽(Elon) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles
1.聽Simone Bergeron/Mariana Reding聽(Elon) def.聽Sia Chaudry/Francesca Davis (W&M) 6-2
2.聽Ale Gonzalez-Galino/Mira Kernagis (W&M) vs.聽Madison Cordisco/Alexis Nyborg聽(Elon) 5-3, unfinished
3.聽Cornelia Kack/Lisa Kranec聽(Elon) def.聽Emma Pell/Yaelle Vaissaud (W&M) 6-2

Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (4,1,6,3,2,5)