Giving back because of what Harvard gave them
From lifelong relationships to memories of the Houses, there are innumerable reasons alumni choose to support Harvard. Every year, more than 30,000 alumni give back in celebration of reunions, as volunteers, or through annual gifts, and they aren’t shy about sharing why. At the recent Volunteer Voices event in New York, nearly 100 honored alumni celebrated why Harvard connections are so important to them. Their sentiment ranged from the humorous to the heartfelt. “I’ll always love Harvard because it gave so much to me,” read a handwritten sign held by Ken Swan ’56. Many focused on the people they met while students. Former Weld roommates Christina Shelby ’04 and Georgia Shutzer ’04 posed together and held matching signs proclaiming, “It’s where I met my best friends.” Harvard College Fund Co-Chair Nicholas Sakellariadis ’73 and his wife, Julie ’78, held signs pointing to each other: “It’s where I met her (him).” Others emphasized their...