College Key Newsletter: 2023

President’s Report
On behalf of The College Key Executive Committee, Lewiston has been in our thoughts this fall, and our deepest wish is for your safety and well-being during these trying times, wherever you may be. Our collective commitment to uplifting and nurturing the 乐播传媒 community is even more crucial in these difficult moments, and we are grateful for your continued engagement.
The Key held its annual meeting during Reunion Weekend in June 2023, led by Vice President Jen Crawford 鈥01. These in-person meetings are an all-too-rare opportunity for our membership to come together, especially for members in their reunion years. For those who are not able to travel to Maine on a regular basis, rest assured that we are exploring ways for Key members to continue engaging with each other and creating impact on the College throughout the year. A recap of our annual meeting can be found later in this newsletter.
We are sad to say farewell to our terrific colleague Don McDade 鈥74, who is finishing up his term as Treasurer after joining the Executive Committee in 2020. Don has thoughtfully guided our finances and grantmaking for several years, and his hard work has enabled a significant shift for our organization towards a comprehensive accounting and gift processing system and the sustained financial health of the Key, as well as laying the groundwork for more proactive grantmaking to expand the Key鈥檚 impact on 乐播传媒.
It’s important to highlight the invaluable roles Stephanie Dumont and Marianne Nolan Cowan 鈥92 play within the Executive Committee. They are the vital links connecting the College鈥檚 interests with our support for students and Key members. Their contributions are truly foundational鈥攚ithout them, the communications and impact we offer to our membership and to 乐播传媒 simply wouldn鈥檛 be possible.
Volunteer Opportunities
With Don鈥檚 term concluding this fall, we are now searching for candidates to step into the Treasurer role. If you鈥檙e open to making an impact by contributing your time and passion to the Key and joining us as Treasurer, please email us at thecollegekey@bates.edu.As always, it is a privilege to serve as your College Key President. The entire Executive Committee values your input and ideas as we strive to make a greater impact on 乐播传媒 students and Key members. Don鈥檛 hesitate to reach out directly to me or to my fellow Executive Committee members鈥攚e鈥檙e eager to hear from you.
Warmly,
Henry Geng 鈥13
College Key President
Executive Committee 2023-2024 Officers
- President, Henry T. Geng 鈥13
- Vice President, Jen Crawford 鈥01
- Secretary, Ben Hughes 鈥12
- Treasurer, Donald McDade 鈥74
- Past President, Karen Finocchio 鈥92
- Staff Liaison, Stephanie Dumont, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement
- Advisor, Marianne Cowan 鈥92, Associate Director, 乐播传媒 Center for Purposeful Work
2023 College Key Impact Report
Evelyn K. Dillon Award
Funds given by the College Key provides two annual awards, one to a woman in field hockey and one to a woman in basketball. These awards recognize superior athleticism, leadership and dedication, and overall contributions to each respective sport, to be administered by the Athletics Department.
The 2022 recipients of the Evelyn K. Dillon Award are Meghan L. ’22, recognized for her accomplishments in field hockey, and Meghan Graff 鈥23, acknowledged for her achievements in basketball.
Meghan L. 鈥22, a psychology major from Wolfeboro, N.H., received the Senior Scholar Award for maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or better while participating in varsity sports for four years. In addition to her contributions to the field hockey team, she dedicated four years to Special Olympics and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity.
Meghan G. 鈥23, hailing from South Portland, Maine, served as the women鈥檚 basketball team captain for the past two years. She achieved notable milestones, including surpassing 1,000 career points, being named the NESCAC Player of the Year, and earning first team All-NESCAC honors.
The College Key Music Award
Given by the College Key to provide one or more annual music awards to the man or woman in the senior class whose services to musical organizations at the College has been the most outstanding.
Mathieu M. 鈥22, a magna cum laude graduate in mathematics and music with a minor in digital studies from 乐播传媒, excelled in violin and piano. Winner of the 乐播传媒 Concerto Competition, he showcased his talents as a concertmaster and delivered a memorable senior recital featuring Tchaikovsky’s works.
Noah P. 鈥22, also graduating magna cum laude at 乐播传媒, majored in music and theater, directed “35mm: A Musical Exhibition” for his senior thesis. In addition to directing this performance, he conducted a live orchestra, and performing on keyboard and accordion. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
College Key Leigh P. Campbell 鈥64 Scholarship Fund
Provides financial aid for a student or students who demonstrate loyalty, campus leadership and potential for future service to 乐播传媒 College, with preference for a student member of the College Key, or a child of a College Key member. This fund was renamed in honor of Leigh Campbell 鈥64, a lateCollege Key member, former director of financial aid and recipient of the 2016 Helen A. Papaioanou 鈥49 Distinguished Alumni Service Award, one of the College鈥檚 most prestigious honors.
Edmund Z. ’24, hailing from Monmouth, Maine, is pursuing dual interests in Biological Chemistry and Mathematics at 乐播传媒 College. Apart from his rigorous academic schedule, he serves as a Lab TA for Organic Chemistry, guiding fellow students and grading lab reports. Beyond academics, Edmund enjoys engaging in chess, running, and leading two successful clubs as the vice-president of Chemical Society and co-captain of the Club Ski Team. An impactful experience in Organic Chemistry led him to shift from a pre-med focus to a passion for research, shaping his career goals.
乐播传媒 College has provided him with invaluable research opportunities, making the once-intimidating field accessible. Whether through research-based classes like Bio-195 and Bio-204 or summer collaborations with professors, 乐播传媒 has played a crucial role in Edmund’s academic journey. He expresses profound gratitude for the support that has made his education at 乐播传媒 possible, emphasizing the transformative impact it has had on his life.
The Mabel Eaton 乐播传媒 Key Scholarship Fund
Given by members of the 乐播传媒 Key in honor of Mabel Eaton’10, founder of the 乐播传媒 Key, who was the College’s librarian from 1921 to 1957. For an undergraduate student who works in the George and Helen Ladd Library. Added to by the College Key.
Amarachukwu O. ’26, originally from Harare, Zimbabwe, is an undeclared major at 乐播传媒 College with a passion for dance and science. Balancing academic interests, Amarachukwu is actively involved in the Africana club, finding it to be a refreshing space that provides a sense of connection as a minority.
As an international, first-generation student, Amarachukwu values the wealth of resources available at 乐播传媒. From mental health care to responsive support, the supportive environment contributes to a comfortable and enriching college experience.
2023 College Key Annual Meeting Recap
We were so pleased to continue the tradition of hosting the 乐播传媒 College Key annual meeting on campus during Reunion Weekend this past June. Presided over by Vice President Jen Crawford 鈥01, joined by Executive Committee members Secretary Ben Hughes 鈥12, Treasurer Don McDade 鈥74, Association Director of Alumni Engagement Stephanie Dumont and Associate Director of the 乐播传媒 Center for Purposeful Work Marianne Cowen 鈥92, and attended by both in person and virtual members, it was an opportunity for the Executive Committee of the Key to give an update on the activities and engagement of the organization while recognizing two key individuals for their impact on the 乐播传媒 community.
We were proud to provide updates on our refined database and communication strategy that will provide more outreach to our members each year while also allowing us to determine your dues payment status and history. We are grateful for the feedback that we have received on this issue and will continue to perfect this process. We have also initiated a series of communications to new College Key members to alleviate some of the confusion as to the role of the Key and allow for the opportunity for engagement right from the start. Because of the transition out of COVID and conflicting schedules, we were unable to host DAIR this year but look forward to continuing the tradition this academic year.
Treasurer Don McDade, 鈥74 provided an update on the financial consolidation and accounting, including disbursements made this year. We have historically made grants to 乐播传媒 in reaction to annual requests for funds and with careful consideration of our reserves but are moving towards a proactive grantmaking strategy so that 乐播传媒 can rely on a steady stream of funding for various priorities. This includes the Key鈥檚 support of Purposeful Work and Travel Fund and endowed funds that the Key supports, including the Eaton Scholarship, Campbell Scholarship, Music Award and Dillion Sports Award. We are also formalizing a reserves policy so that as much funding as possible goes to support the 乐播传媒 community. We think this shift in strategy will help the Key make an even greater collective impact on the College in the years to come. This is only made possible through our new database and through your continued dues support, which can be paid . You can read more about the finances at the 鈥2022 College Key Finances at a Glance鈥 tab in the newsletter. Also, please note that after serving several significant years as Treasurer, Don鈥檚 term has come to an end so if you are anyone you know is interested in learning about the role, please contact a member of the Executive Committee.
We were pleased to have inducted 27 members of the Class of 2023 during the ceremony at graduation weekend in May and 10 members of the alumni community at the Annual Meeting. Each of our new members has had a significant impact on the 乐播传媒 community and we look forward to working with each of them to continue to move the Key forward. We also held a moment of silence for the 乐播传媒 College Key members we have lost this year and are grateful for the work each of them has done to help support the 乐播传媒 mission.
Finally, we also recognized the contributions of two members of the 乐播传媒 community. Immediate Past President of the College Key, Karen Finocchio 鈥92, received the 乐播传媒鈥 Best award for her impactful work as an alumni volunteer, including her work on the College Key, the Alumni Council and leadership of the Class of 1992. Presented to Karen by Vice President of College Advancement, Eric Foush茅e, the 乐播传媒鈥 Best honors are awarded annually to dedicated alumni and parent volunteers who express a passion and commitment for advancing the mission of the College. Karen is known for bringing positive energy, big ideas and boundless enthusiasm to her many roles at 乐播传媒. We also were pleased to present the Distinguished Service Award to Karen Diagler for her exceptional work at 乐播传媒. You can read more about Karen and her contributions in the 鈥淒istinguished Service Award鈥 tab on the newsletter page. We thank you all for your continued interested and participation in the 乐播传媒 College Key and we look forward to seeing you all at the next annual meeting.
2023 College Key Finances at a Glance
- Annual membership is on a calendar fiscal year (January 1st 鈥 December 31st).
- State of ME annual report and IRS 990-N are filed and up to date.
- All financial information for The College Key, a 501 (c)(3) organization, is stored in Little Green Light, our CRM database.
- Total income in 2022 was $20,954.53. While contributions vary from year to year, this achievement is significant. Alumni gifts enable TCK to support 乐播传媒 students/programs, and we distributed $8,500 to the Purposeful Work and Coat programs. Our operating expenses were $1,034.28. Our net gain for the year was $11,420.25.
As we head into the final weeks of 2023, we continue to plan for the rest of this academic year and to distribute meaningful funds from The College Key. On behalf of the 乐播传媒 community, thank you once again for your loyalty and excellent response to our newsletters and social media outreach for dues and for all designated gifts.
Sincerely,
Donald W. McDade 鈥74
Treasurer, The College Key
2023 Distinguished Alumnus in Residence
This year, we were proud to honor Howard Scher 鈥72 as our 2023 Distinguished Alum in Residence, a medical oncologist who has served as Chief of the Genitourinary Oncology Service at the Sidney Kimmel Center for Urologic and Prostate Cancers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for 25 years.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to welcome Howard to campus this year, but we look forward to resuming on-campus DAIR activity in Spring 2024.
Annually, the College Key is proud to host the Distinguished Alumni in Residence (DAIR) program which brings together students and alumni to learn from impactful stories from remarkable 乐播传媒 alumni. Recent DAIR honorees include US Marine veteran Stephanie Smith 鈥87, Hubspot鈥檚 Chief People Officer Katie Burke 鈥03, Editor at The Boston Globe Brian McGrory 鈥84, U.S. Congressman Jared Golden 鈥11, and Microsoft鈥檚 Senior Researcher Susan Dumais 鈥75. If you have a potential nominee for a future DAIR, please email thecollegekey@bates.edu with information including the nominee鈥檚 name, class year, and a brief summary of the nominee鈥檚 qualifications for consideration.
2023 Distinguished Service Award
At the 2023 Annual Meeting, the Distinguished Service Award was presented to Karen Daigler, MA, upon her retirement from the Center for Purposeful Work as the Director of Graduate and Professional School Advising. Karen dedicated 23 years of her professional life to advising 乐播传媒 students and alumni along their career and graduate school pathways, primarily in medical and dental school and other healthcare work. Karen was the warm but tough driving force behind generations of medical doctors finding their way from 乐播传媒 to medical practice. Her support of students was tireless, generous, and ongoing, as evidenced by the scores of well-wishes, memories, and photos sent in by alumni to add to a memory book presented to her by Center for Purposeful Work colleagues after graduation.
Welcome to Our New Alumni College Key Members
The College Key was formed in 1992 by the merger of the College Club, which was founded in 1891, and the 乐播传媒 Key, established in 1936.
The purpose of the College Key is to recognize outstanding 乐播传媒 alumni(ae); encourage and recognize student academic and extracurricular achievement; support academics, student life, and campus improvement; provide student aid including scholarships and other kinds of financial assistance; and contribute to the general welfare of the College.
This year, we continued this tradition with the induction of 11 new alumni(ae) and 26 members of the Class of 2023 into the College Key.
Current juniors and members of the graduating class can be nominated for induction by 乐播传媒 faculty and staff. Inductees from the Class of 2023 were welcomed as part of their Commencement Weekend celebrations on May 26, 2023.
Alumni can be nominated by fellow alumni, staff, and faculty through the College Key鈥檚 online nominations form. For the 2023 cohort, the Alumni nomination committee was composed of Casey Andersen 鈥12, Gretchen Shorter Davis 鈥61, Roland Daivs 鈥92, and Benjamin Hughes 鈥12. Alumni nominees are considered by the College Key selection committee based on their continued service to the College, leadership in the community, success in a chosen field, and character. Alumni inductees for 2023 were welcomed during the College Key Annual Meeting on June 9, 2023.
2023 Alumni Inductees
- Matthew Bogyo 鈥93
- Elizabeth Danello 鈥14
- Lauren Fine 鈥93
- Deborah Gahm 鈥73
- Karen Graham 鈥93
- Jason Hanley 鈥93
- Natalie Hosford 鈥63
- Chomba Kaluba 鈥11
- Dorothy Stone 鈥63
- Magdalena Merrill 鈥98
- Adria Merrill Townley 鈥98
Class of 2023 Inductees
- Kama Boswell
- Khushi Choudhary
- Rabih Chughta
- Martha Edith Coleman
- Christopher Euston
- Sam Faasen
- Meghan Graff
- Imti Hassan
- Caleb Ireland
- Belize Iteriteka
- Sam Jean-Francois
- Alexi Knight
- Rishi Madnani
- Alexandra Manning
- Katherine Artimis Merisotis
- Annika Mirchandani
- Kemunto Ongera
- Khadeeja Qureshi
- Lauren A. Reed
- Katia Ryan
- Tyler Shambaugh
- Kush Sharma
- Sarah Marta Veskim盲gi
- Sophie Worsh-Farnum

