Work Hard, Play Hard: A Retirement Farewell to Donna Pursifull

“What do rubber chickens and mardi gras beads have to do with NCAA compliance? For the answer to this, you would need to follow Donna Pursifull around during the third week of June at our annual user conference where she sprinkles her magic in her laughter, each hug, and each ‘How have you been,’ never losing an old friend and always making a new one. Donna is the keeper of DARS lore, keeping secrets sharing fun while being a teacher of rules and exceptions.
Thank you, Donna, for sharing yourself, your knowledge, and your joy. Thank you for getting to know each user and school you have worked with while being instrumental in graduating thousands and thousands of students. I won’t say goodbye. I will say see you soon (even if I have to track you down), future consultant? Or perhaps annual conference cruise director? Happy Trails, Donna. Enjoy each flower and bug you encounter along your new path.”
Kerry Cooper
CEO, CollegeSource

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“Donna and I have known and worked with each other for nearly 30 years beginning with the DARS rollout of Transfer Articulation! Since then, we have been colleagues, consultant/client, and—best of all—friends.
Donna always brings her in-depth knowledge, excellent logical skills, passion, enthusiasm, and great sense of humor to the table in all she does. Whether it is presenting at the CollegeSource Annual Conference, consulting with clients, responding to OWL Issues, or any other interaction, she consistently gives 100% of herself to the moment and her excitement is contagious. She has been a steady and reliable presence in bringing CollegeSource products to higher education for the benefit of thousands of students, academic advisors, faculty, etc.
She will be greatly missed by many.”
Kathy Newman-Gall
Degree Audit Lead Encoder, University of California, San Diego

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“I have known Donna since my first user conference back in the ’90s. Donna made me feel welcome, and we have been friends ever since. She and I were DARS friends first and actually started going on trips and meeting up at other conferences. Donna is passionate about anything she does, and it shows. She cares about people and makes them feel special. Donna explains to new clients and new conference attendees, ‘We work hard, and we play hard.’ It has been a joy to have been able to work with Donna for the past 15 years, but even more to share our friendship. She will leave a hole at CollegeSource, especially as the unofficial Hospitality Host!”
Conni Shaw
Director of Customer Success, CollegeSource

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“For the past 26 years, one of the things I look forward to most at the annual conferences is spending time with my long-time friends at CollegeSource. I remember the first time I met Donna. It was in St. Petersburg, and after a few glasses of wine, she challenged me to guess her weight. I shockingly hit it within a pound. Not cool! Since that first meeting, we’ve become great friends, and l have looked forward to spending time with Donna and all my other long-haul DARS/RedLantern/uAchieve pals, particularly in the after-hours Bourbon Bar, which was always ground zero at Donna’s pad.
CollegeSource is losing an icon in its training and troubleshooting services, which will no doubt leave a void hard to fill. Who will possibly take the place for presentations that speak to ‘corralling those courses’ or in-depth discussions of the RU flag?? Seriously, her ability to communicate complex information effectively to users is unsurpassed.
We will miss your smarts and humor, Donna, but hope we don’t lose you at our virtual happy hours, and other opportunities to get together as life permits.”
Matt Bemis
Associate Registrar, University of Southern California

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“‘True friendships are a wonderful thing to have during the best of times and especially during the worst of times.’ Donna has certainly embodied the sentiment behind this statement. Little did I think some thirty-four years ago when I met Donna at a DARS conference in Florida that the above statement would be ringing so true today as she prepares to leave CollegeSource.
Donna has been the linchpin that has held so many of us together as a family. She always brought in the newcomers and made them feel welcome. Her personal support for all was unwavering. She was there in good times and in bad. After joining the uAchieve administrative team, her knowledge of the product and her ability to navigate the issues for the clients was nothing short of ‘impressive,’ and her continued ability to make us all feel genuinely part of a ‘family’ was unmatched.
CollegeSource may be losing a valuable employee and resource, but most of us will never lose the friend that we gained in Donna. So Donna, to my anan cara (Gaelic for my ‘soul friend’), I say Go n-eirí an t-ádh leat—may luck rise with you. You deserve nothing but the best!”
Arlene Belliveau
Consultant, Former Sr. Assoc. Registrar at University of Massachusetts Boston