Whether it’s the death of a family member, an unforeseen job loss, or an unexpected medical diagnosis, personal crises can quickly lead to financial burdens. For some college students, sudden, unanticipated circumstances can interfere with their schooling and make it difficult to complete their degrees due to financial challenges.

When crisis strikes, the SIS Emergency Fund exists to provide one-time awards to SIS students to alleviate unpredictable financial challenges and keep them on track to finish their degrees.

During this year’s annual, 36-hour AU Giving Day, which kicks off at 7 a.m., February 26 and runs until 7 p.m. February 27, donors have an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of students at AU—including students who apply for financial assistance through the SIS Emergency Fund.

For this year’s Giving Day, Matthew Klinger, SIS/BA ’95, will match up to $20,000 in gifts given to the SIS Emergency Fund. We caught up with Klinger, who serves as the executive vice president of operations at EAB, to learn more about his time at SIS and hear about what drives him to give back to his alma mater.

How do you believe your time at SIS helped prepare you for your career? Are there any professors or classes you remember as especially helpful to you?  

SIS turned me into a global thinker and exposed me to a whole new set of diverse circumstances and points of view. Tangibly, I learned to be a better thinker—questioning with humility, not to tear down another individual, but to better understand their point of view. 

I often think of classes I took with Professor Brenner and Professor Kinkade. They exposed me to the complexities of the world. Very few things are choices between right and wrong; there is always another perspective to consider, and questioning and research bring that often hidden perspective to life. I think about those two professors when I am faced with a seemingly easy decision in the work place. Questioning with humility often surfaces perspectives that need to be considered. 

AU is truly a global university in a global city.  I would often hear 3-5 different languages being spoken in the Davenport Lounge on the way to class. I don’t think there is another setting in the world that offers such global perspectives and encourages its students to question their own perspectives.

In 2021, you provided a gift to establish the SIS Emergency Fund, which is used to provide short-term financial relief to students when personal crises occur. What led you to start this fund for students?

As part of my work, I study why students fail to graduate from courses they have begun at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Simply put, I found the reasons infuriating. It’s rarely the student being lazy or not able to handle the course work—the reasons are more trivial and fleeting: someone had to work extra shifts to pay rent after a roommate returned home, an unexpected gas bill, a laptop that doesn’t work anymore, etc. 

During the tail end of COVID, AU announced that it would close the university grounds for January. That resulted in countless students who relied on [Federal] Work-Study at the university being unable to afford living expenses for that month. Other, more serious, reasons include illness or loss of a family member—both strain the financial resources of the student and often result in the student dropping out of school. 

I felt that we had to do better. Short-term financial shocks that arise from unforeseen circumstances should not derail someone from achieving a college degree. My wife and I often say that the college degree is a rare, positive, life-changing moment. You are fundamentally better off after you receive the degree than you were before. Why should that positive, life-changing moment be derailed by a short-term financial constraint? That was the reason for starting the fund—giving students the ability to stay in school and on track for their degree while dealing with an unforeseen financial problem. 

For AU Giving Day, you have pledged to match up to $20,000 in gifts given to the Emergency Fund. As an alumnus of AU, what drives your generosity?

 At the core of it is my passion for student success. I want students to achieve the “positive life-changing moment” that a degree from AU affords. AU opened so many doors for me professionally and academically. I want students to have that amazing sense of accomplishment—they worked hard, they were challenged, and they came away with a broader mindset and perspectives they didn’t know existed upon entering the school. If we can support them in a very small way on that journey, the return is incredible for that student and society at large.

In addition to being an alumnus of SIS, you are also a member of the SIS Dean’s Advisory Board. What inspires you to give of your time to AU? 

I have been incredibly impressed with the set of experts that Dean Hader has recruited to the Advisory Board. I personally learn something new from every interaction with the group—they are incredibly inspiring and passionate about the school. I appreciate the willingness of Dean Hader and the SIS leadership to listen to outside perspectives and be willing to make changes to better support students. 

I have found their action-oriented and open-minded approach to dealing with difficult issues on campus unique in higher education, and it has made me more willing to offer the support I can. SIS is a nationally recognized institution. Getting to be part of supporting such an institution is a great honor and a very fulfilling experience for me.

What has been the lasting impact of your experience at AU and SIS?

I would say an appreciation for the benefits/necessities of having a diverse and global mindset. AU provided me with the confidence to understand the complexities of the world, but not feel overwhelmed by them. I am confident in traveling around the world and engaging with a variety of people. AU taught me that learning from others around you and your environment leads to life-changing discoveries and confidence to tackle a variety of different problems.

As students make decisions this spring about where to go to college and graduate school next fall, what would you say to anyone who is considering attending SIS?

My hope is that students will find AU as a place where they can be themselves, find colleagues who will challenge them, and be open to new perspectives and opportunities. It is so important to find a place where you are comfortable and able to do your best work. AU’s welcoming and supportive environment allowed me to grow, but not on an island where I felt alone. You want to find people who will push your thinking, expose your lazy stereotypes, and force the uncomfortable—not in a challenging/right versus wrong spirit, but one that allows for maturation and evolution of thought. 

Finally, have an open mindset, and be willing to try new things—study abroad, join a club you know nothing about, and have coffee with people who look nothing like you. That takes courage, but the reward is so great!