Katie Chatas '88

Katie Kessler Chatas '88

'Tis the gift to be simple…my Alumni Fund donation is such a simple act but gives me so much satisfaction in return. My simple gift has a powerful impact when combined with the thousands of other gifts alumni make each year. Although I graduated 30 years ago, the annual tradition of calling, texting and emailing my classmates keeps me connected to them and to the college.

Over the last 3 decades, I have called on many of my classmates year after year to join me in this tradition of giving back and have had the privilege to stay in touch with them in this way. I’ve followed one friend from one state department placement to the next, from Beirut to Addis Ababa to Turkmenistan. Another friend and I compare annual ski updates, and another won’t make her gift until she gets my call. Not everyone on my list was someone I knew particularly well at Williams, but we’ve developed a rapport over the years, and I consider them friends now. I know about legal cases they’ve won and lost, marathons they’ve run, children’s Halloween costumes, loss of parents, health battles, and marriages. When I call, I always tell them I’m calling for the Alumni Fund first, and then we can get caught up on each other’s lives.

I give to the Alumni Fund because I’m grateful for my experience as a student and for the enriching experiences as an alumna. I’m interested in what’s happening in my classmates’ lives and so pleased that Williams is why I have these connections.

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