Katharine deGolian ’21 followed in her mom’s footsteps to attend UNC-Chapel Hill. The Atlanta native was raised a fan but became enamored with Carolina’s academic, athletics and social scene during her college search. She enrolled in 2017 to pursue a degree in business administration at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
After graduation, deGolian returned home to Georgia and began working as an investment analyst at PGIM Real Estate. But she did not want to lose her connection to Chapel Hill. Through a friend, she learned about the Young Alumni Leadership Council (YALC), a volunteer group within Carolina Annual Giving that helps fundraise and advocate on behalf of all Carolina schools, units and programs.
DeGolian shares her experience on the committee in this Q&A.
Why did you choose UNC and what did you study here?
I chose UNC because, when I was looking at colleges, it had the best of all worlds and was really everything I was looking for. It obviously has great academics. I was interested in somewhere that had great athletics as well. It has a beautiful campus. It was a good size. Personally, it was a good distance from my home, so that was attractive as well.
And then Carolina blue being our color. I mean, you can’t beat that.
What initiatives have you seen/worked on during your time on the council?
I’ve gotten to work on a few initiatives during my time at YALC. The biggest would probably be GiveUNC. We spend a lot of time preparing for that and raising money for our Carolina Covenant scholarship. That’s the main goal that we’re working towards with GiveUNC and last year we actually met our goal.
What does the YALC mean to you? Why was it important to you to come back to UNC?
It’s important to me to come back to Carolina and give back to Carolina in any way I can, because this place has given me so much. I really think of it as more than just the university that I went to. It’s a community that I’m part of and that I’ll always be a part of. So being a part of YALC is a good way to be able to contribute back to this place and this community, whether that be through our time, our effort, our money, it’s just been really rewarding, and I’m happy that I get to be a part of it.
Why should current students join the council when they graduate?
One, I think it’s just a great way to stay connected. I’ve met so many awesome people through coming back to campus for our fall meeting and then our monthly Zoom meetings that I wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise. Especially some of the alumni who were a few years older than me at Carolina that I really wouldn’t have crossed paths with. So that’s been a really cool aspect of it.
But I also think it really is for such a great cause. I love that we get to make a real difference in the lives of Carolina students. It’s really a great way, at our age, to give back to the community and stay connected to the university. It’s really cool.
The Young Alumni Leadership Council is a great way for recent Carolina graduates to get involved, give back and connect with other alumni. Click here to learn more about the council and the Young Alumni Carolina Covenant Scholarship Endowment Fund.
Photo submitted by subject.
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