Students from The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University have used their marketing education to raise funds for school construction in rural Guatemala. During the Fall 2025 semester, students in Dr. Timothy Keiningham’s Service Marketing course collected $5,200 for buildOn, a nonprofit organization based in Connecticut that has built over 2,500 schools in developing countries. The money raised will support the creation of a new school in Guatemala.
Guatemala faces significant challenges with literacy and education. According to the Guatemala Literacy Project, only 40 percent of children are expected to reach middle school and just 20 percent complete high school. This limited access contributes to ongoing cycles of poverty.
The fundraising initiative was organized through a partnership with the university’s Community Engaged Learning Office. Dr. Keiningham has worked with buildOn for six years, involving his undergraduate classes in projects supporting school-building efforts in countries such as Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Mali.
Students were encouraged to use strategies learned during their coursework to organize real-world fundraising activities. They hosted bake sales and raffles, contacted friends and family members, and conducted outreach on campus.
One student took an entrepreneurial approach by hosting a jewelry fundraiser at her workplace coffee shop. Angelina Orkwis, a senior majoring in marketing with a minor in psychology, collaborated with Swarovski’s Touchstone Crystal for an event on November 14. She invited regular customers from her workplace and raised over $2,000 in sales; 25 percent of proceeds went to buildOn. The event featured food items like charcuterie boards and pastries along with discounted specialty drinks.
Another student, Isabella Marino—a senior marketing major—found that direct interaction was crucial for successful fundraising: “Online outreach alone would not be enough to meet her team’s goal.” Her team created themed raffle baskets promoted across campus alongside a bake sale which helped them engage directly with the university community.
Dr. Keiningham noted that this hands-on project enabled students “to apply fundraising strategies learned in the classroom to real-world projects,” reinforcing both professional skills and social responsibility.
Through these efforts, students gained insight into global educational inequities while also learning how business knowledge can contribute positively beyond campus boundaries.
