Every week, Kimberly Cyrus sees another success story. A student who needs gas money, receiving a gas card. A student with no place to sleep that night, getting a hotel room. A student attending school on a scholarship, who wouldn’t be there otherwise. Funds used to stock the university’s food bank. They’re all real-world differences made by funds donated to the Ivy Tech Foundation.
“Our chancellor, Dr. (Travis) Haire always says, ‘Students first.’ So the first question is always what is the impact on our students? How is this going to help our students?” said Cyrus, Executive Director of Development for the Ivy Tech Foundation at Ivy Tech Sellersburg. “So we're very focused on what we can do to support the students so they can be successful in the classroom. That's how I see the foundation working.”
And indeed, that’s how it works—the Ivy Tech Foundation is central to supporting the programs that help students manage pressures from outside the classroom, while helping them pursue higher education at the same time. By supplying basics like food and gas to beautifying and improving the campus, the foundation is ever-present at Ivy Tech Sellersburg, which offers 42 academic programs to help students from Louisville and Southern Indiana improve their lives through education.
“It is vital, because we have so many students who have, for example, food insecurity or housing insecurity,” Cyrus said. “The money we raise goes to support campus technology initiatives, but also scholarships and wraparound services for the students. I have gas cards in my office—we see it all the time where students just need gas to get to and from school, and the foundation is able to support them. I see success stories every week, because there’s so much need out there right now.”
Pat Harrison’s impact
How much of an impact can one donor make? Consider Pat Harrison. Harrison has always loved art—she was raised in Louisville within walking distance of the Speed Art Museum, and she’s traveled the world to see works by the masters. However, the New Albany real estate agent also wanted art to be more accessible, which is why she became a supporter of the visual communications program at Ivy Tech Sellersburg.
That support ultimately turned into the Pat Harrison Fine Arts & Design Gallery, which stretches along one of Ogle Hall's main corridors.
“One of my proudest contributions to our local campus is the Pat Harrison Art Gallery. In times of budget cuts, the arts are often the first to be sacrificed, seen by some as nonessential. But I strongly disagree. As a graduate of Spalding University, a liberal arts school, I developed a deep appreciation for the arts—both through my education and my experiences with art around the world. Art speaks a universal language. It creates a space where everyone feels seen, valued, and welcome.” Harrison said. Created through funds donated to the Ivy Tech Foundation, the gallery is unique among schools like Ivy Tech Sellersburg and offers students a premier location to showcase their work.
“I support Ivy Tech Community College because it opens doors for individuals from all backgrounds—especially first-generation students—offering them the opportunity to pursue something greater,” Harrison said. “It instills a sense of purpose and the power to make a meaningful impact. Whether someone dreams of becoming a nurse or doing software programming at that hospital, Ivy Tech provides a strong, practical foundation to help them succeed. For those passionate about the trades or entrepreneurship, the college offers the skills and knowledge needed to thrive.”
Harrison is also the namesake of the Pat Harrison Clock, which is situated between two main campus buildings at Ivy Tech Sellersburg. “Time is precious—we only get so much of it,” she said. “It’s important to spend it on what matters: joy, connection, and the people we love. A quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet resonates with me, which I interpret as ‘we only have so much time to dance onstage.’ So, let’s make the most of it. Let’s dance.”
Harrison’s support of the Ivy Tech Foundation is also allowing the school to build a new secondary entrance, which will feature a roundabout and monument. “She has a big personality and a big heart,” Cyrus said of Harrison. “She just has so much pride for Ivy Tech—anytime you see her, she wants to talk about Ivy Tech and the good that they're doing. She's very giving in her donations, because she wants to impact the campus. She is a self-made woman, and I think she sees Ivy Tech and all the great things we're doing in the community, and she just wants to be a part of it.”
Every dollar counts
Harrison isn’t alone—many of the donations to the Ivy Tech Foundation come from partners within the community, Cyrus said. Foundation representatives regularly attend networking or sponsorship events in order to build relationships that can ultimately translate into donors who help improve the Ivy Tech Sellersburg campus or the lives of the students who attend classes there.
And at a school like Ivy Tech Sellersburg, Cyrus is able to show donors exactly the impact their money is making. These aren’t funds that are going to languish in an account somewhere—they’re of crucial importance in helping Ivy Tech students manage their lives away from the classroom and excel within it.
“This isn’t a big corporation, right? Yes, we're statewide. But anything that goes to the Sellersburg foundation stays at the Sellersburg foundation,” Cyrus said. “I manage all the accounts, so I can see where every penny is being spent. We can be very fiscally responsible about telling people, ‘You gave $500, and that translates into being able to get 10 gas gift cards for students so they can get to school. It’s not going to a big corporation, it's not going to a systems office. This money is staying right here to impact our students and keep improving their community.”
Are you interested in donating to the Ivy Tech Foundation and learning how you can help better the lives and futures of students at Ivy Tech Sellersburg? Visit the Ivy Tech Sellersburg Foundation website at Giving.IvyTech.Edu/Sellersburg, or contact the office directly at (812) 246-3301.
