Rebel Ringers Represent Student Diversity

Eight different cultures, nine different languages, and one philanthropic effort—meet the students that make up the UNLV Rebel Ring Phonathon Program.

With an ever-rising number of students enrolled at the university, it is no surprise that many come from a variety of countries. Two students, Adi Alsaid and Mike Ndosi, speak five languages between them and share a passion to do outreach on behalf of UNLV.

The Phonathon program, which started in 1995, provides students with an on-campus job that stewards the university's alumni and community members. Every semester the students gather in a call center and contact about 20,000 individuals to seek their support in unrestricted and college-based annual giving programs.

This year, the Phonathon program is a microcosm of UNLV's varied student population.

“We have a culturally diverse student body and it is important to showcase our students when contacting our alumni,” says Michael Richmond, development officer of special campaigns.

Both Alsaid and Ndosi have found that out for themselves, each having taken more than one call in a different language.

“On one phone call, I talked to a lady in Hebrew,” says Alsaid, a business and marketing major who also speaks Spanish and English. “It's a great bonding feature.”

For Ndosi, also a business major, one of his calls hit close to home.

“I once called an alumnus, and while talking to him, picked up on a familiar accent and common name from back home,” he says. “We talked in Swahili and spoke about Tanzania and that got me comfortable with the conversation. Sometimes reaching out to our alumni means for me to reach out to them in our common language and get them comfortable to participate.”

According to Richmond, there are currently 30 students in the program, all with a diverse outlook on the university. The students benefit from learning about each other's backgrounds and also gain valuable experience in philanthropy.

The Rebel Ringers, as the students are called, bring in about $125,000 annually for the university. Their dedication to the successfulness of this program, according to Richmond, is a huge benefit because they put a student face on UNLV.

For Alsaid and Ndosi, the experience has been beneficial for their professional development.

“Personally, I believe there is a lot to learn out there, and through this whole experience I feel I have gotten a whole lot of tips and tools for my major from both the alumni that I speak to and the people that I work with,” says Ndosi.