Growing Together

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Each spring, as seniors prepare to cross the stage at Senior Celebration, another milestone unfolds at the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences (CICS): the annual Senior Gift campaign. Now a budding tradition, the initiative brings each graduating class together to reflect on their time at UMass Amherst and to give back in a way that supports the students who will follow in their footsteps.

The tradition took shape with the Class of 2024. Wanting their gift to reflect the college’s identity, seniors rallied behind a project that would reconnect the landscape surrounding the new Computer Science Laboratories building to its history. Their 217 gifts funded two apple trees—replacing those removed during construction and subtly echoing the apple tree that inspired the college’s binary tree design—standing as a living symbol of the class’s gratitude and pride.

By 2025, the tradition had gained momentum. CICS ambassadors worked to expand participation by weaving the Senior Gift effort into the annual UMassGives campaign. Through a promotional video, personal outreach, and on-campus tabling, they encouraged seniors to designate their gifts to the class fund. Their enthusiasm paid off: 228 contributions will support a device charging station in the new building, giving students a practical space to power their academic and daily routines.

For CICS senior and 2025 CICS Ambassador Khushi Rajoria, the effort was both personal and purposeful. "It’s my way of giving back to the community, since I have the time and resources to do so," she said. "That feeling is amazing. Representing the CICS community makes me happy." 

As the Class of 2026 steps forward, its members inherit a campaign shaped by student leadership, shared pride, and a growing sense of collective responsibility. Their goal is simple but meaningful: inspire even more seniors to participate and continue cultivating a tradition that strengthens the CICS community year after year.

This story originally appeared in the Winter 2025–2026 issue of Significant Bits magazine.