It started off like any other, except when I asked how this alumnus was doing, he said that he had cancer. I didn't know what to say except for, "I'm sorry." I was in such a state, I didn't continue with "the ask." But, the caller was intent on supporting the university. He pledged without me ever asking.
You never know what to expect when you pick up the phone to make calls for the Telefund, and that's the reason why novice student callers get nervous. One of my Telefund supervisors, in fact, was physically shaking his first day on the job. Students are afraid of those challenging calls where people treat you like any other telemarketer. The goal then becomes less about raising money and more about assuring someone that their feelings about the university are heard.
But, in all of my calls, there is one common thread, even among the occasional defensive or disgruntled individual. Alumni share a respect for the academic standards at Carnegie Mellon and what it meant to their careers, and that is something we can all take pride in.
—Terry Stanley Jr. (HS'10) has been employed by the Telefund for three years; he is majoring in decision sciences.
