{"id":66356,"date":"2025-03-28T07:59:24","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T11:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=66356"},"modified":"2025-04-04T18:59:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T22:59:20","slug":"the-people-of-utc-get-to-know-laura-snyder-and-i-love-utc-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/03\/the-people-of-utc-get-to-know-laura-snyder-and-i-love-utc-week\/","title":{"rendered":"The people of UTC: Get to know Laura Snyder (and I Love UTC Week)\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Laura

Laura Snyder has been involved with the UTC community for 18 years. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

Laura Snyder is the director of stewardship and donor events in the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga <\/span>Division of Advancement<\/span><\/b><\/a>. The <\/span>division<\/span> is responsible for cultivating relationships with alumni, donors and friends of the University through philanthropy, stewardship and meaningful events.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Though it may not sound like Snyder would be very involved in student life, she is well-known to the UTC community. Earning both her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees from UTC and coming to the University as a full-time employee in 2013, Snyder has been involved at UTC for nearly 18 years.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In her current role, Snyder helps plan <\/span>I Love UTC Week<\/span><\/b><\/a>\u2014an annual week-long event filled with fun activities. This year\u2019s I Love UTC Week takes place Monday through Friday (March 31-April 4).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Snyder sat down to answer questions about her job and what I Love UTC Week is all about.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re a two-time graduate of UTC. What brought you back to work here?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI got both my degrees from UTC\u2019s College of Business\u2014my undergrad in marketing and my MBA. As a student, I was really involved in Student Government Association, which helped me form relationships with faculty, staff and administrators. That\u2019s when I started to see UTC as a great place to work as well.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter finishing my MBA, I worked in event planning but knew I wanted to return to UTC. I didn\u2019t expect it to happen so quickly, but when my former boss in the Chancellor\u2019s Office called about an opening, I jumped at the opportunity.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s crazy that I get paid to do this work because I love it so much. This is a perfect fit and definitely where I\u2019ve made a home.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you describe your role as <\/span><\/b>director of stewardship and donor events<\/span><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI work in Advancement, which includes fundraising and alumni relations. My job is focused on stewardship\u2014making sure donors feel thanked and recognized for their contributions\u2014and events, which help engage both donors and alumni.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor stewardship, some efforts are very high touch, like working to properly thank Gary Rollins for his $30 million gift\u2014while others are more broad, like sending thank-you mailers or recognition pieces to annual donors.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn the events side, we host everything from donor receptions before theater performances to UTC alumni events at Braves games.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For those who may not be familiar with it, what is I Love UTC Week?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a chance to celebrate UTC\u2014including the people, the traditions and the impact of being part of this University. We like to call it a mini spring homecoming. It\u2019s designed to bring students, faculty, staff, alumni and the Chattanooga community together in a fun way.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of offices and departments help make it happen. The goal is to highlight everything that makes UTC great while creating opportunities for engagement.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"How are you involved with I Love UTC Week?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI oversee I Love UTC Week through Advancement, but it\u2019s a collaborative effort with a handful of people from across campus\u2014athletics, the UTC Library, alumni relations, student affairs\u2014who help plan and execute it.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy office is behind some of the philanthropic aspects of the week. This year, we\u2019re adding a thank-you note station at the kickoff event where students can write notes to donors. We also align our annual Scholarship Luncheon with I Love UTC Week, which is one of my favorite events. It\u2019s where donors and scholarship recipients get to meet and it\u2019s always a special moment.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some of the biggest events during the week?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe kickoff event on Monday sets the tone for the whole week. Last year, Campus Rec introduced a kickball game, which we\u2019re bringing back, and we\u2019ll have tables with swag, buttons and giveaways to get everyone in the spirit.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnother big addition this year is the <\/span>Scrappy\u2019s Cupboard<\/span> Food Drive. <\/span>Scrappy\u2019s Cupboard<\/span><\/b><\/a> is always in need of donations, and this seemed like a great opportunity to highlight it and encourage people to contribute. There\u2019s a giving link for those who want to donate money and an <\/span>Amazon wishlist<\/span><\/b><\/a> where people can purchase items that Scrappy\u2019s Cupboard needs the most.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe also have some fun, interactive events throughout the week. The library is hosting a photo booth and we\u2019re bringing back Family Feud for students, faculty and staff.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAramark has gotten really involved this year and they\u2019re doing something almost every day. They are doing a rubber duck scavenger hunt, a cookout and lots more.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the newest things we added this year is business discounts at local spots. We reached out to businesses, explained what the week is about, and got eight to <\/span>10<\/span> local businesses to offer UTC-themed deals and perks.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You don\u2019t work directly with students in your role, but students seem to know and love you. Can you explain that relationship?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat probably comes from my time in the Chancellor\u2019s Office, where I was involved in a lot of <\/span>campuswide<\/span> events. I sent out emails about fun things\u2014<\/span>campuswide<\/span> celebrations, free food events\u2014so students associated my name with good news.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI also work on the scholarship side of stewardship, which means I help connect student recipients with their donors. That\u2019s been one of the most rewarding parts of this role.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is it important to engage students in this way?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they\u2019re our future alumni. From an engagement perspective and a giving perspective, it\u2019s important for students to see that donors help make their UTC experience possible.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStudents benefit from scholarships, campus improvements and opportunities that exist because of donor support. So part of this is about planting the seed early and showing them the impact philanthropy has on their experience and encouraging them to pay it forward when they\u2019re in a position to do so.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do you hope people take away from I Love UTC Week?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it can be really easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of life on a college campus. I hope people take this week as an opportunity to take a few minutes and sit back and think about all the things they love about UTC.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know it can be hard this time of year, but I really do think we have a great campus culture\u2014and our students are the heart of that. To be able to celebrate that is an opportunity we don\u2019t take advantage of enough.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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View the full I Love UTC Week calendar here.<\/a><\/strong> Highlights include:<\/p>\n