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St. Kate’s alumni all over the country are finding ways to give back and stay connected after graduation. For some, that might mean donating to the Katie Fund, while for others, it means volunteering, attending alumni events, or keeping in touch with faculty mentors and lifelong friends. 

Alexis Everson ’20 is one recent graduate who continues to be active in the St. Kate’s community as an alumna—and as an employee. Everson works as a student employment coordinator and marketing manager for dining services at St. Kate’s, where she takes on a mentoring role with the students she supervises. She gives back through the Katie Fund as a way to show her appreciation for the community she has found at St. Kate’s. 

“I have made the best friends throughout my time as both a student and employee,” Everson said. “I also have incredible coworkers and student employees and am so grateful for them.” 

Other alumni, like Anna Potts ’22, find ways to stay connected even from across the country. Potts graduated with a Bachelor of Science in dietetics, and is now working toward a master’s degree in nutrition at Simmons University in Boston. She supports the Katie Fund as a way to express her gratitude for St. Kate’s and the people she got to know through her time there.

“I keep in touch with several classmates still at St. Kate’s and encourage them in their studies,” Potts said. “I am also incredibly grateful for the relationships I continue to cultivate with my past professors. They still mentor me even as I have moved on from the institution.”

Liza McNamara (Leja) ’20 is another alumna who continues to support St. Kate’s from afar. A graduate of the American Sign Language interpreting program who now works as a sign language interpreter at the University of Tennessee, McNamara remains involved even after graduation. 

“I support St. Kate’s as often as I can,” McNamara said, citing the close knit community of St. Kate’s a major reason she chooses to give back. “I loved being able to know most people in the cafeteria at any given time.”

McNamara served on a panel of recent graduates for an intro to the interpreting profession class, hosted a Q&A for current students about ethics and decision making in interpreting, and worked as a leader for MERGE, a volunteer-run organization that supports interpreting students and recent graduates. 

“I’m grateful for my interpreting professors,” McNamara said. “They always believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.”

Tiffanie Lawson ’20 also names her professors as one of her reasons for giving back to St. Kate’s. Lawson, who earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing and a master of business administration, participated in the Katie Leadership Impact mentorship program, hosted on PeopleGrove. She currently works as an analyst for Ally Financial in Credit Bureau Data Furnishing and operates a small marketing business.

“I am grateful for the friends I made in undergrad and the support of faculty and staff to help me accomplish my academic and career goals,” Lawson said. 

Alumni give back not just out of gratitude for the past, but out of hope for the future. Lakshmi Gunawardena ’22 is one such alumna looking to impact the next generation of Katies with her support. Gunawardena, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in international studies and now works as an event and volunteer AmeriCorps VISTA Coordinator at the Sanneh Foundation, notes the impact of her time at St. Kate’s. 

“I give back to the Katie Fund as a donor because it provided me with scholarships and resources,” Gunawardena said. “I try to pay it forward so current and future students can have the same opportunities."