In Pursuit of Excellence 

Dartmouth College Recognizes with Deep Appreciation the Extraordinary Achievements of 

Mercedes de Guardiola '17
2018 Class Treasurer of the Year – 25 Years Out and Younger

Mercedes, it is our pleasure to recognize you as the Class Treasurer of the Year among our younger classes. In the relatively short time that you have held this role, your accomplishments have been truly noteworthy. You brought endless energy and focus to the treasurer responsibilities, and you were thoughtful and inclusive in your approach.

Perhaps your most important accomplishment was engaging your class council, your classmates, and other treasurers to build a vision and a plan for the class treasury. That included developing funding guidelines that made the process easy and transparent; organizing around the class project; and building a fundraising marketing strategy that incorporated input from more than 40 of your classmates and other stakeholders.

At the same time, you focused on actively managing the finances. You tracked down “missing” funds to be properly deposited into the class accounts. And you sent out effective dues mailing communications, building the messaging around community engagement (rather than just an ask for money). Your efforts have (literally) paid off, and you raised more than $3,700 in dues this year, with more than 120 classmates contributing to the health of the treasury.

These efforts have established a strong foundation for your class going forward, with an eye toward the future. A well-funded treasury and fundraising process will help engage and connect the Class of 2017 by funding meaningful projects, mini- and major reunions, and other activities.

“Mercedes is an absolute joy to work with and her hard work this year more than deserves this honor,” said class president Regan Plekenpol. “Her fierce determination, creative problem solving, and team spirit have been a huge asset to our class council team and I’m certain we would not have accomplished even a fraction of our success without her. I am so grateful and proud!”

In appreciation for all you have done for your class and for Dartmouth College, it is an honor to present you with the award for the 2018 Class Treasurer of the Year.