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On May 30, members of the university's Lifetime Giving Societies were celebrated for what they make possible at UNH during the All Hail event held at the Dimond Library. The event featured a program focused onÌýstorytelling to highlight the stories of possibility that donors create for students and faculty at UNH.

Nearly 150 donors and friends were in the audience to hear from Cam Carbone '20, an ocean engineering major who found a passion for Arctic research at UNH, and from , assistant professor of creative writing in the who talked about his mother's journey from Thailand to AmericaÌýand how present-day stories of his students are connected to that journey.

Sarah Jakositz '18 '19G, who studies civil and environmental engineering in the , discussed her experience as a woman in the STEM fields.

She says at first, she was intimidated byÌýthe idea of speaking to a crowd of "established, UNH-famous faces" staring back at her. But the second she took the stage, her fears vanished.

"The audience was incredibly warm and receptive. I felt like they weren't just listening to my words, they were truly hearing what I had to say. Each person I made eye contact with gave me a look that told me my story was important and they were invested," Jakositz recalls.

Carbone told donors how he found his passion for ocean and climate research at UNH after an injury sidelined his dream of playing Division I hockey in college. In September 2018, he was invited by Dale Chayes, affiliate professor with UNH’s (CCOM), to join more than 25 scientists aboard the polar icebreaker the U.S. Coast Guard cutterÌýHealy as it ventured to the Arctic to study the region's pack ice.

He recalled how he found himself roughly 9 degrees from the North Pole. "I heard my name called: 'Carbone. Science Team. Ice permission granted.' As if I had just been called by a hockey coach... I took a generous leap onto the ice as if I was jumping onto a different planet," he told the All Hail audience. "I remember how humbling and exciting it was in that moment. ... I was completing some of the most crucial research that's ever been completed, while standing on top of the world."

The All Hail event is held semi-annually, and hosted by the UNH Foundation board and UNH President James W. Dean. Learn more about giving societies at UNH, or find out how you can .