Danielle Romanello

Assistant Director of Engagement 

Learn more about this Park Scholarships all-star employee working within the community to secure continued program funding.

Meet Danielle

You likely already know her or have received emails from her. As Assistant Director of Engagement, Danielle Romanello creates opportunities for alumni to engage with our students and the Park Scholarships program. “When alumni get to see what students are accomplishing now, it reminds them how important it is to support the program. Seeing it is even more meaningful than reading about it in a report or on a device” (Danielle).

“Since I’ve been here, we’ve started Alumni Mentoring Hours, hosted many events and community dinners, supported the Chancellor’s Farewell Tour to connect with our Park community, and created a stronger relationship with the Park Alumni Society” (Danielle). Creating these touchpoints for alumni and donors is an essential responsibility of hers.

When Danielle and I discussed what makes her uniquely poised for this position, she shared, “I like connecting people with one another and with a sense of community … and I’m also really competitive.” Those years spent as a student athlete honed her ability to show up as a dedicated team player, ready to rally the bench, all for the love of the sport and the name on her shirt. We are grateful to see this commitment to the Park collective consistently show up in Danielle’s approach to her work. 

When she joined the Park Scholarships staff in 2023, she leveraged the strengths of existing structures and started to expand what is possible, reaching new heights each year. This has most recently culminated in a truly outstanding 2025 Day of Giving.

Success Drivers

I asked Danielle, What made this year so successful?

She explained that 2025 was a very special year. People were particularly motivated to give because they knew their donations would be matched through a partnership with the Stamps Scholars Program.

We also received a $100,000 Alumni endowment and our twelfth endowed scholarship on the day. We appreciate these major gifts, which contributed to a substantial portion of the total funds raised this year. But what really captivates Danielle, however, is the unprecedented success we saw in other key areas of giving.

Alumni Participation

She remarks on the outstanding alumni and student participation. “28% of all Park Scholars gave. That’s more than we’ve ever seen!

The Class of 2007 set a new Alumni record with 53% Class participation. This shows we are doing a good job of staying connected with alumni and maintaining their support. Their appreciation and collective impact are what make Day of Giving so successful. 

Class Advocates

Danielle gives a shoutout to Daniel Mellinger ‘07. His leadership prompted the Class of 2007 to reach the record-setting 53% Alumni Class participation. With this, he surpasses the previous record set by Greg Wilson ‘10, who led the Class of 2010 to record-setting heights just last year.

Not to worry, though: Greg has already informed Park staff that he has big plans for a comeback in 2026.

Friendly Competition

This friendly competition between classes has proven to be a fun way to show and re-engage class spirit. After all, every gift counts, and even a small monetary donation is important for competing in challenges regarding the number of gifts received.

It’s fun when classes buy into the competition aspect because it’s all in the spirit of sustaining the program, which we all care so much about. As you may have guessed, Danielle especially enjoys the university-wide competitive aspect of Day of Giving, which has undoubtedly helped us win challenges and top leaderboards. 

Ranking and winning at this level unlocks additional funding for the program, which motivates Danielle to get strategic. She selects particular Challenges and cultivates strong relationships with Class Advocates to support and clearly articulate Challenge goals. She works with University Central Stewardship, and collaborates with Eva Feucht and the Park Assistant Director of Communication, which included both Mary Kornegay and Jada Wyatt in 2025.

Her ability to work collaboratively with internal and external Park stakeholders is key to our stewardship success. 

Fundraising Since 2013

Park Scholarships at NC State started fundraising efforts as recently as 2013. It is incredible that in the past 12 years, Park has cultivated our alumni, family, and supporters into a steadfast donor community that cares deeply about the continued success and quality of the program.

This spirit of giving is also present among our current Scholars as well. “The fact that our community members between the ages of 18 to 24 are even thinking about philanthropy is notable” (Danielle). The 100% participation rate among the first-year Class of 2028 is outstanding!

How Did We Get Here?

Simply, it comes from the personal desire to invest in the program that invested in you. There is a culture of appreciation within Park Scholarships that strengthens the affinity our alumni feel for the program. Our Scholars are the kind of people who want to see others succeed and are honored to return the favor by investing in their support. “Only when you feel connected are you willing to part ways with your dollars” (Danielle). 

Our progressive annual Day of Giving success reflects our process of improvement. We’ve tested and refined our approach, and we’ve improved how we prepare our community for each Day of Giving.

We adjusted our communication tactics to be as clear as possible. We do this by thinking strategically about who we work with and how to reach them. This includes the advocates you enlist, the messages you distribute, and the relationships you cultivate.

Thank You, Danielle!

The relationships we build with our supporters are essential for the program to continue. “From the time Danielle arrived, she has shown all the traits needed to be successful in her role: an ability to learn quickly, a great attitude, a natural comfort with building relationships, and a commitment to success,” said Eva Feucht ‘02, Director.

“Danielle’s efforts have built on the great work of those who came before her to lift us to new heights this year. Today, we see enormous buy-in from the NC State community in our efforts to invest in students, as support continues to grow from all corners of campus and beyond. Danielle has had a lot to do with this,” said Feucht.

You don’t have to wait until the Day of Giving 2026 to support our Scholars! You can attend an upcoming event, volunteer your time, and consider investing in our exceptional students today. 

Review our Park Scholarships Give page to learn more. You can donate to our Park Scholarships Annual Fund to help our month-to-month operations or invest in our Park Scholarships Sustaining Endowment for 4% perpetuity. If you want to build in partnership, you can work with us to create an endowment or endowed scholarship, named after your cause, family or legacy.

There are many reasons to give, and nearly as many ways to make your contribution unique. Contact Danielle Romanello at dcromane@ncsu.edu today to discuss these options, as well as gift matching opportunities, stock gifts, DAF funds, and more.