“It was a Thursday before spring break; I had two classes that day,” Gwen remembered. “I was in my morning class when we got the email from the president saying we were going to virtual learning for two weeks after spring break. Both of my professors were like, ‘This is probably the last time I’m going to see you.'”

Gwen couldn’t believe what they were saying. These were the strategic communication professors she’d had for years. How could this be the end — so abruptly? She continued with her day and went to work at the McGovern Alumni Center. She was a guest service representative at the time and often worked during events in the building. She and her co-workers speculated about the mysterious virus that was sweeping the nation, but no one knew what the future would hold.

“Two weeks later, I didn’t have a job anymore. It was mid-March, and I was terrified,” Gwen said. “I didn’t know what the future was going to look like. As a senior in college, I was trying to figure out what I was going to do after graduation. I was applying for jobs at the time, and they all stopped hiring.”

Without a job or any prospects, Gwen faced financial uncertainty for the first time in her academic career. She immediately applied for funding through NDSU’s Student Emergency Fund, which helped her make rent payments and brought a bit of comfort during a crisis.

“It provided a little bit of a breather during that time when it felt like there wasn’t time to breathe,” Gwen said. “Receiving that aid changed a lot of things for me.”

With support, Gwen was able to face her future — unknown though it may have been. She was healthy and safe, and she had what she needed to finish her coursework virtually and earn her degree. That’s why the Student Emergency Fund was created in 2016, “to provide funds to help students who encounter an unforeseen financial emergency or crisis that would otherwise prevent them from staying in school and progressing toward a degree.”

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students received funding that helped them finish the semester, and since its establishment, the Student Emergency Fund has distributed more than $122,400 to NDSU students in sudden need.

“That funding meant a lot because even with the uncertainty at that time, so many people were still willing to donate to so many students,” Gwen said.