Alumni Challenge Update: Classes of ’89, ’94, and ’87 Lead Fundraising Efforts

The annual Alumni Challenge is a friendly competition between the forty graduating classes of Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA), some of whom—in true LSMSA spirit—can be very competitive. Funds raised during the Alumni Challenge significantly support LSMSA and help the LSMSA Foundation end each fiscal year on a high note.

Each year, the winning class is honored on a plaque near LSMSA’s Robert A. Alost Hall of Fame. With the 2024 fiscal year-end approaching on June 30, here’s a look at the rankings as of June 19. Make your donation here to help your class climb the ranks.  

The 2024 Alumni Challenge has raised a grand total of $372,428, with a goal to reach $400,000 by June 30. The Class of ’89 currently leads the pack with $57,052 raised, followed by the classes of ’94 ($32,498) and ’87 ($30,425). The classes with the highest rate of participation are ’94 (28%) and ’24 (26%). Setting aside the Class of ’94 (who boast a 28% participation rate), the classes with the highest participation rate in fiscal year 2024 are ’24 (26%), ’85 (17%), ’92 (17%), ’90 (‘16%), and ’95 (15%).

The Alumni Challenge includes a special division called G.O.L.D. (Graduates of the Last Decade), which spotlights the philanthropic giving of recent LSMSA grads. The G.O.L.D. category leader in total dollars raised is the Class of ’18 ($2,555), with the Class of ’24 leading in participation percentage (26%).

“Classes in the G.O.L.D. category are especially important to the future of LSMSA,” said LSMSA Foundation Executive Director Michele Robinson. “They represent a new generation of philanthropic leadership and vision for the school.”

Several top rankings in the G.O.L.D. category are only separated by a few dollars. For example, the fourth-ranked Class of ’21 leads the fifth-ranked Class of ’22 by four dollars. Make a gift on behalf of your graduating class.

Special June Incentive
Now through June 30, donations at designated levels will receive a special thank-you gift featuring an illustration of the High School Building by Emma Fick ('09). Fick is a professional artist and author of three illustrated books: Snippets of Serbia (2015), Snippets of New Orleans (2017), and Border Crossings: A Journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway (2022).

 

•$40:  2" x 3" Sticker

•$100: 4" x 6" Magnet

•$250: Signed & Numbered Print

 

LSMSA is a tuition-free, public high school for high-achieving rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a nominal room and board fee to cover housing, meals, and campus activities. The LSMSA Foundation offers assistance for families in need to ensure that no eligible student is denied the school’s 40-year legacy of a college-level living/learning experience.