Autumn 2008: Campaign Emory

Cletis Allen portrait

Photo by Bryan Meltz

Giving All Scholars the Chance to Succeed

Cletis Allen 11C, an Emory College sophomore from Chicago, dreams of becoming a pediatric nurse in an emergency setting. She set her sights on the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, one of the top in the country, but her dream seemed out of reach.

Then she received a scholarship through Emory Advantage, the University’s financial aid initiative to help students from families with annual total incomes of $100,000 or less who demonstrate a need for financial aid.

“I graduated fifth in my class from high school, but I have five brothers and sisters and without Emory Advantage, I wouldn’t have been able to pay for college,” Allen says.

To help students like Allen, Wendell Reilly 80C and Mary Laney Reilly 81C 00T decided to cast their support for Emory Advantage. The pair met as English majors at Emory College and married soon after graduation. Over the years they have worked in the Peace Corps, volunteered for one of Georgia’s largest community organizations, supported small business development, and helped refugee families find new homes.

Emory reflects many of the Reillys’ deepest values—particularly their belief in education and their commitment to community service. The couple has focused their giving on Emory Advantage, a program that makes it possible for any qualified student to get an Emory education and fosters a community of scholars that better represents the world outside the campus gates.