Annual Giving is an investment that provides Princeton students with the tools and opportunity to thrive on campus and beyond. Flexible and immediately available, Annual Giving funds are critical to Princeton every year, and they become even more so in times of uncertainty.
Amy Solomon ’14 grew up idolizing Gilda Radner and performing sketch comedy in Chicago. At Princeton, she joined the Quipfire! improv troupe, co-created the All-Nighter late-night talk show, and interned at “The Colbert Report.” “People don’t always think of Princeton and comedy, but going there afforded me all of these unbelievable comedy opportunities.” After moving to Hollywood, she’s now a co-producer on the HBO show, “Barry.”
Eric Plummer ’10 says he learned to focus at Princeton. Juggling sports, studies, clubs, and volunteer work, he mastered the art of selfdiscipline. As a track and field standout, he strove for excellence in events where the difference between victory and defeat is measured in centimeters. Today, he’s an executive at Peerspace and he’s honored to help the next generation of Tigers: “You give with a grateful heart, in order to preserve the systems and opportunities that you enjoyed for the next generation.”
Tiffany Ko ’09 had work-study jobs when she was an undergraduate, which helped open doors to Princeton’s electrical engineering laboratories where she discovered laser research. That foundation informed her Ph.D. research in bioengineering and sparked her breakthroughs in pediatric treatments at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Princeton gave me independence to learn at my own pace and learn a lot. I think it’s important that other students get the same opportunity.”
Ben Sorkin ’17 grew up tinkering with boat engines, and Princeton became his ultimate workshop. He joined Princeton Racing Electric with classmate Kirk Robinson ’17 and built an electric, Formula-One-style race car, then applied those lessons to electric boat engines. Today, he’s the founder and CEO of Flux Marine, a company that develops zero emission electric boat propulsion systems. “If you have an idea, Princeton is a school that allocates resources to let you figure it out.”
Kirk Robinson ’17 led the team of 30 Princeton undergraduates that built an electric race car, and that experience steered him toward his career. At Rivian, he’s designing electric trucks and SUVs. Princeton provided the freedom for Kirk to explore. “At a lot of other places, it’s much more common for people to pick a path from a menu of options. But at Princeton, you’re able to create your own path.”