Kate Troelstra
A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, I began my development career as a phonathon caller because it was the highest paying job on campus. As a mathematical sciences major, to me that meant working the fewest number of hours to make the money necessary to pay for college. I had never sold anything in my life – not Girl Scout cookies, not chocolate bars, not anything. I was very fortunate to have a mentor who helped me understand that we weren’t asking for money, but rather inviting people to invest. That perspective has helped me to have a successful twenty-eight year career in advancement in a wide range of institutional settings including liberal arts colleges, public universities (large and small), professional schools, and independent schools.