Day of Giving 2026 (Results)

Day of Giving 2026 was a success thanks to you! Supporters of the Smittcamp Family Honors College contributed a total of $28,485 with 81 gifts. In addition to hourly challenge gifts and the President’s Bonus Challenges, a total of $32,025 will benefit the Honors College. Out of 35 possible funding areas, the Honors College ranked #5!

Two funds were highlighted for support, both of which impact our scholars and their educational journey.

The Smittcamp Family Honors College Student Success Fund provides essential support to address unmet needs of students, including research and travel funding, technological support, and other educationally-related expenses. 

From June 6-10, 2026, Hannah Blackmon visited UC Merced with funding from the Student Success Fund to present her research on sulfamethoxazole, a common antibiotic and persistent aquatic pollutant, at the Advances in Electronic Structure Theory and Dynamics - Satellite Meeting of the 18th International Congress on Quantum Chemistry. 

Along with many scholarships, the Smittcamp Family Honors College Alumni Endowment helps to support 200 annual President's Honors Scholarship awards which will cover educational expenses and help ensure that the honors college will continue to attract the best and brightest young minds in the Central Valley and beyond.

We would like to give special thanks to our 2026 challenge donors. These alumni and friends provided leadership gifts to help motivate other alumni, parents, and friends to give. 

$5,000
Michael Ruiz

$2,500
Chris Gouveia

$2,000
Aaron and Kimberly Stillmaker

$1,200
Thomas Fredrickson

$1,000
Adine and Lanei
Ryann Christiansen
Ashley Jacobsen
Leonid Vydro

$500
Douglas and Diana Benik
Nicole Hobbs
Christopher Marklund

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The Honors College was established in 1998 with a generous gift from the late Earl and Muriel Smittcamp. We are extremely thankful for the continued investments made by the Smittcamp family. However, growing private support is necessary to keep pace with the rising costs of tuition and housing. It is supporters like you that make it possible to welcome 50 new scholars each year into the SFHC family.