Your Gifts at Work

When Kathryn Horvat ’60 wanted to major in chemistry, social pressures on women in the late 1950s pushed her to change course. Kathryn had always wanted to be a scientist, says her son Steve Horvat, but she opted instead for a history degree, later earning a master’s of arts in teaching degree from Johns Hopkins University and eventually earning an MBA from Roosevelt University. Over the years, Kathryn worked as a consulting systems analyst, a contract programmer and analyst, and an information systems specialist. All the while, Kathryn held Carleton close to her heart as a dedicated alumna. She donated to the College for more than 30 years, frequently attended Reunion, and helped plan her class’s milestone 50th Reunion. In addition to volunteering, Kathryn joined the Joseph Lee Heywood Society by establishing a will provision to benefit the College.

“I really think that this became somewhat a part of her identity,” Esther Blaskovich, Kathryn’s daughter, said. “[Carleton] became the first place she felt she belonged.” While at Carleton, Kathryn was a part of Glee Club and Women’s League and wrote for the Carletonian.

September 7, 1876, may have started like any other day for Joseph Lee Heywood, bank clerk at First National Bank in Northfield.

Then Jesse James rode in.

“He sacrificed his life to protect the future of Carleton,” said Jim Bonhivert ’74. “He did this in service to others.”

Chris Seiders ’28 says he greatly appreciates the financial support he has received, and he emphasizes the importance of the academic community that he has found at Carleton. “Coming from a high school that didn’t necessarily perform very well academically, coming to a place that actually cares more about academics has been a nice experience for me. I think only three kids from my class went to college. This has been nice, having more people I can talk to about academic things.”

Like many Carls, Esmeralda “Esme” Garcia-Ramirez ’27 is busy with more than just classes. The prospective biology major works as both a Project Friendship and TRIO peer mentor, acted in the fall theater production Anon(ymous), plays women’s club soccer, and writes newsletters for the Concussion Alliance—a non-profit health organization—all while balancing coursework, working as a lab assistant for Professor Rika Anderson in the biology department, and applying for externships.

Esme says the fact that her daily to-do list can be so long is directly thanks to financial aid. “Scholarships help make dreams come true,” Esme said. “And in my case … they allowed me to focus on what I want to do and be able to explore campus and not have to worry about the financial hardships my family is going through.”

Thanks to support from a generous anonymous donor, the Dacie Moses House recently reopened on campus, completely renovated and better than ever!  Renovations started in summer of 2023. Vice President…

This fall Carleton will dedicate its first building named in honor of a class. With its record-breaking gift of more than $65 million, the Class of 1974 Center will revolutionize…

This internship opened my eyes to an interest in policy. With immigration policy constantly changing, I saw the tangible effects that policy has on people.

Thanks to the Robert J. Kolenkow and Robert A. Reitz Endowed Fund for Student Scientific Research, Matt Murashige ’27 gained hands-on research experience in the psychology of aging–a special interest of his.

Throughout this internship, I gained a new perspective on the world of public radio, learned hard skills that are important to the trade, and created valuable connections with amazing people in the world of public media.

Last summer I had the invaluable opportunity to intern at Stanford University as part of the Cardiovascular Institute Summer Research Program, co-funded by the Class of 1970 Endowed Internship Fund.