Students at the Heart of the Babson ELevates Celebration

Editor / Writer

Eric Beato

Eric Beato is the Editor of Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Eric has worked as an editor and writer at newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and Boston Herald. Eric joined Babson College in 2019 after working as the communications director for a private educational travel company and as the managing editor of six regional sports publications.

October 23, 2026

The Babson community joined together to celebrate the successful conclusion of the $750 million Babson ELevates campaign, the College’s largest philanthropic effort, and the students whose experiences have been elevated because of it. (Photo: Vail Fucci)

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At the heart of the Babson ELevates campaign, from its initial inception to its final celebration, were the students and all of the advances that elevated their experiences at Babson College:

The scholarships that made a Babson education possible for them.
The term chairs that advanced research for the faculty who teach them.
The centers and institutes at the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership that provided enriched programs and opportunities for them.
The capital projects that created state-of-the-art living, learning, and collaborative spaces for them.

Bella Werner speaks while standing on stage — Bella Werner ’27, a College Advancement Ambassador, speaks during the event. (Photo: Vail Fucci)

Students fittingly also were at the center of the celebration Thursday that brought together alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to commemorate their collective impact on Babson.

The event celebrated the successful conclusion of the Babson ELevates campaign, the most ambitious philanthropic effort in the history of the College. The campaign, which launched in 2019 and twice surpassed and raised its goal, hit its final $750 million goal in June, a year earlier than planned.

The celebration at an elevated and elegantly decorated recreation center at the Len Green Recreation and Athletics Complex was an opportunity for the College, its leaders, and its students to express their gratitude to the alumni and donors who made it possible.

“As president, I remain inspired by your generosity,” President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD said from the stage at the event. “We are deeply grateful for your belief in Babson and in our mission to educate entrepreneurial leaders, student-focused, people-focused, who will make an impact on all of their communities. I cannot tell you how proud we are that this community really believes in what we do and is changing the world.”

Students in green jackets stand on stage in front large images of students — The College Advancement Ambassador stand on stage at the Babson ELevates event. (Photo: Vail Fucci)

Making Dreams Possible

The campaign’s participation numbers are impressive: 217,219 total gifts from 45,172 donors from 124 countries and all 50 U.S. states. And its results are even more impactful: six capital projects, six centers and institutes, six endowed professorships, 23 term chairs, and 149 named scholarships.

But the celebration showed again that the success of the campaign isn’t in its final numbers but in its ultimate impact on the students and alumni.

“Campaigns are about the people who make our dreams possible,” said Jeffery S. Perry ’87, P’23, chair of the Babson Board of Trustees, who was joined on stage by former New Hampshire Gov. Craig R. Benson ’77, H’03, vice chair of the board, in expressing their gratitude.

“I echo the many thanks to our incredible community of faculty, staff, alumni, parents, students, and friends, as well as my colleagues on the board of trustees,” Perry added. “The most important measure of this campaign is the impact it will have on our students for decades to come.”

Transformational Impact

Bella Werner ’27 was one of the many College Advancement Ambassadors in attendance sporting their signature Babson-green jackets. A recipient of multiple scholarships, she shared the students’ gratitude for the opportunities and experiences the campaign has provided.

“The impact of this campaign does not stop tonight. … (It) will continue shaping students for years to come.”
Bella Werner ’27

“Tonight marks an incredible milestone, but the impact of this campaign does not stop tonight,” Werner said. “Because of the generosity represented in this room, the scholarships created, the spaces transformed, and the opportunities made possible will continue shaping students for years to come.

“I stand here tonight representing thousands of students who want you to know: What you did mattered. It was not abstract. It was not a number on a slide. It was real, and it was personal, and it changed the course of my life,” she added. “So, on behalf of all of us: Thank you. Thank you for elevating Babson. And thank you for elevating us.”