KENOSHA, Wis. – The Carthage College Board of Trustees has approved an expansion of the Light that Travels fundraising campaign, increasing the goal to $120 million and placing student scholarships at the forefront of the campaign’s next chapter.
Carthage met the campaign’s original $100 million campaign goal last week. Rather than conclude the campaign, college leaders see an opportunity to build on that success by securing additional funding for scholarships. This step enables Carthage to address one of the most consequential challenges facing students and families: access to an excellent college education. The campaign expansion also builds on recent institutional momentum.
“Carthage is in a position of strength, and that gives us an opportunity and responsibility to think about what our momentum can make possible for the next generation of students,” Carthage President John Swallow said. “We know there are talented students who would thrive at Carthage, but cost can influence whether they enroll, whether they stay, and how fully they can participate in the opportunities a Carthage education provides. This next chapter of Light that Travels is about opening that door wider.”
Publicly launched in July 2023, the comprehensive Light that Travels campaign has generated philanthropic investment across the college, supporting students, academic programs, facilities, athletics, and other priorities that strengthen the Carthage experience.
Scholarships have emerged as the college’s leading philanthropic priority following extensive conversations with trustees, alumni, donors, parents, and other members of the Carthage community. More than one-third of Carthage students are Pell Grant-eligible, underscoring the importance of philanthropic support in making the Carthage experience accessible to students from a broad range of economic circumstances.
Gina Madrigrano Friebus, who chairs the Board of Trustees, said the decision to expand the campaign reflects the board’s confidence in the college and its future.
“Reaching the original $100 million goal is an extraordinary accomplishment, made possible by people who believe deeply in Carthage and its students,” Madrigrano Friebus said. “The board believes this is a moment to build on that momentum. By making scholarships the priority of this campaign expansion, we can help ensure that talented students have the opportunity to experience everything Carthage has to offer and carry that experience into their communities and careers.”
The campaign expansion also reflects a broader strategy to engage more alumni, parents, friends, foundations, corporations, and community partners in the life of the college.
“Philanthropy is ultimately about connecting what people care about with opportunities to change lives,” said Philip Hood, vice president for advancement. “Scholarships make that connection especially clear. A gift can help a student choose Carthage, persist toward a degree, take advantage of an internship or other formative experience, and ultimately enter the world prepared to contribute. We want many more people to see themselves as part of that work.”
Carthage senior Dane Hagen, an accounting major from New Lenox, Illinois, and president of Student Government, reflected on the opportunities he has experienced as a student-athlete, campus leader, and member of the college’s Mock Trial team.
“At Carthage, you don’t have to limit yourself to just being one thing. You have the opportunity to explore your interests, try something new, and truly discover who you are,” Hagen said. “I’ve never had to choose between being an athlete, a student, or a leader. I have been encouraged to be all three and explore every aspect of the Carthage experience. On behalf of Carthage students, I’m grateful to our faculty, staff, and donor community for making these opportunities possible.”
Carthage announced the campaign expansion to faculty and staff during a campus gathering Thursday, Nov. 5.
“Light that Travels has always been about more than a fundraising total,” Swallow said. “It is about what happens when people believe in the potential of Carthage and its students. By expanding this campaign, we are inviting our entire community to help ensure that financial circumstances do not stand between talented students and the opportunities they are ready to pursue.”