Asking for money might be one the hardest things to do. It takes courage and thick skin to call Central alumni, parents and friends to ask them to donate financially to the university.

Up until a month ago, I was guilty of being short and rude in response to what seemed like an obnoxious amount of telemarketer phone calls. Then I got hired at the Alumni Call Center as a student employee. After my first phone call on the job asking for donations from an alum and being hung up on, I will NEVER again talk to strangers on the phone without being courteous.

What is absolutely mind-boggling to me is that friends of Central can be so unwilling to share their Central experience, let alone give. It is very understandable that resources are stretched and that money is limited. It is another thing to treat a student calling on behalf of Central without an ounce of kindness in their tone.

Even as merely a rookie in the University Call Center, I have been hung up on too many times to count. I’ve been hit with every snarky comment in the book, “How did you get this number to harass me,” “Don’t ever call me again,” “Don’t you think that I am doing my part by already paying tuition?”

I’ve slowly learned to not take the responses personally. I’ve found that the key to salvaging my own sanity is to kill those negative Nelly’s with kindness. I’m also extremely grateful to all of the gracious alumni, parents and friends who are nothing but excited to share that their experience with Central has been enjoyable; even if they apologetically decline to donate financially.

It grinds my gears that some people have lost touch with any sense of decency. Something about having a conversation over the phone must make it easier for them to raise their voice and speak down to someone. Weren’t they a working student once too? Don’t they have kids of their own? I don’t believe that these people would treat me the same way if they had to talk face to face. There are a million ways to politely decline giving, without attacking me or my university.

When the Alumni Call Center calls out to ask for donations, they are raising money on behalf of students. The money goes directly towards student scholarship funds, various university departments, financial aid emergencies and grants. Central is striving to accomplish big things by helping students alleviate some of the financial stresses that college puts on us and our families.

When nine out of ten Central students are receiving some level of financial aid, I would bet money on the assumption that the person I am reaching out to most likely received some help along the way, as well. Consequently, it blows my mind as to why people could so often be disgusted that we are asking them to give back.

With that said, I understand that we can’t all give back financially. They and I both are going to be paying off student loans for a long time. What’s not okay is slamming me, or Central. All I am asking is for phone call recipients to put themselves in my shoes for a second. I am just a student employee asking them to consider investing in the school that either they attended, or their children currently attend. Remember the lesson we all learned when we were younger? If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.