Last Saturday, Pomona College launched its Originals Campaign, a $530 million effort to expand financial aid for middle-income families, broaden professional opportunities for students and strengthen the college’s alumni network. To kick off the campaign, Pomona President G. Gabrielle Starr and several trustees broke ground on the college’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE), which was followed by a fall-themed festival featuring student performances and community-building activities.
In an interview with TSL, Pomona’s Vice President of Advancement Maria Watson said the campaign will provide financial support for a strategic vision the college set out in 2020.
“This is a multi-year effort to bring alumni, families and friends together to fund goals that the annual budget can’t cover itself,” Watson said.
The Originals Campaign has five main priorities, according to the college’s website: increase accessibility; expand research and global learning opportunities; increase wellness and community-building opportunities; build alumni relationships; and strengthen the college’s capacity for future investments.
The day’s events culminated with the Originals Festival on Marston Quad, which dozens of students, faculty and Claremont residents attended from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The celebration featured student performances by the After School Specials A-capella group (ASS) and the 5C Cheer Team, plus free food and Pomona merchandise.
Tito Oshuntolu PO ’29, a singer with ASS, said he enjoyed doing his first performance with the group at the Originals festival.
“I really enjoyed the community, seeing everybody come out and celebrate [the campaign],” Oshuntolu said.
At the event, Claremont Mayor Jennifer Stark PZ ’98 noted that “the city and the colleges are inextricably connected,” and explained the broad impact of the Claremont Colleges’ investments into the city.
“You guys [the Claremont Colleges] are our largest landowners, our largest employers and our largest industry,” Stark said. “And so, this opportunity of starting local to move into the rest of the world is truly profound.”
The $530 million raised will cover the $125 million CGE construction project announced in March. The CGE will be built on the former site of the Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages and International Relations, which was demolished this summer and previously housed more than 100 students.
Oldenborg’s demolition led to reduced residence hall capacity and a housing crisis at Pomona last spring. The CGE will aim to expand student housing options by providing 200 beds in its residence hall once it opens in August 2028.
Watson said the Originals Campaign is part of Pomona’s ongoing commitment to accessible higher education. She emphasized that the financial support will provide more resources for students, including expanding the Access to Course Essentials Program, which provides Pomona students with required class materials at no additional cost. She also said the campaign will advance construction of the CGE.
“It’ll make global learning a daily part of our faculty and students’ lives,” Watson said.
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