Lehigh University: Alumni

No Excuses U

      As an integral part of the TurnAround Schools project, No Excuses U seeks to have a positive impact on the lives of elementary school, middle school, and junior high school students nationwide. For the past two years, Lehigh University has had the pleasure of sponsoring two different classrooms participating in the program. The Lehigh University Alumni Association was approached early last year by Susan Van Slyke, parent of Patrick '00 and Sean '01. Susan is an ESL teacher at Whiteley Elementary School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois—not far from Chicago. The Alumni Association was excited about the great project and partnered with other departments within the university to send a package full of Lehigh information and memorabilia to the Illinois students.
      Included in the package were brochures about Lehigh’s campus, fun pennants and temporary tattoos bearing the Lehigh Mountain Hawk, a CD featuring the best Lehigh fight songs, and treats from local Lehigh Valley establishments Crayola and Just Born. Lehigh memorabilia decorated the classroom as students competed with other sponsored classrooms to display the most spirit for their school.
      The results of the program have been overwhelmingly positive. The Alumni Association now has the great pleasure of sponsoring a fifth-grade class from Mango Elementary School in Fontana, California. The school’s principal, Sara Najarro-Kurland is a 1992 Lehigh alumna. This year’s sponsored classroom can look forward to the same Lehigh goodies, and will hopefully see the program as a wonderful opportunity to learn more about a great school!

Note: Because of time and resources, the Alumni Association can sponsor only one No Excuses U school per semester. If you would like to submit a classroom for Lehigh to sponsor, please click here.  

View the thank-you booklet that Mrs. Van Slyke's class sent to the Alumni Association: