Catherine Mickey Saunders ’98
Associate Vice President for Advancement
Office of Advancement
1. Explain your role at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College? (What’s your daily routine, what’s your role in big events on campus, what is your role with students, etc.)
As the associate vice president, I lead the engagement and fundraising members of the larger Office of Advancement. We work to connect alumni, parents, friends and community partners with The Woods and one another. It is our hope that these experiences inspire them to support SMWC philanthropically. Our team also leads the grant proposal and management process for the College. With almost 60% of our campus student body participating in our 16 intercollegiate athletic teams, the advancement team has been active in growing our sports marketing program by cultivating relationships with corporate sponsors and athletic donors.
We lead a variety of special events for the College. In addition to helping with local alumni gatherings, we can be found leading Reunion, Homecoming, Ring Day, #WoodsGivingDay, the President’s Gala, the Athletic Hall of Fame events, and this year’s special Ring Centennial Fundraising Dinner. You won’t have to look too hard to find us working and/or cheering at Pomeroy athletic events as well as supporting concerts, plays and other special activities with our students.
No day is typical at The Woods, especially on this team! We may be consumed by work and reports one day, then trimming trees or moving furniture for a new classroom the next. It’s never boring, but having a predictable academic calendar helps to keep things rolling smoothly throughout the year.
2. What do you enjoy most about SMWC?
SMWC is truly part of my family. My mother, Trudy Ayer Mickey ’74 and two aunts Barbara Norton O’Brien ’67 and Marie Ayer Roberts ’81, paved the way for me to find my home at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.
It is a privilege to be a part of this exciting time. My work is far from typical for an advancement officer. Not only do I work with alumni and donors to secure transformational gifts, but I have the opportunity to be a part of the transformation itself. The impact of my work improves the experience of each student. I am most proud of continuing Saint Mother Theodore’s legacy as a steward of this special place. I strive to maintain the historical integrity of our campus while making it a meaningful and comfortable place for today’s students.
3. Tell us more about yourself? (Hobbies, family, community involvement, etc.)
My parents are a Rose-Woods couple, and they moved to northeast Ohio, where I was raised with my two brothers. We returned to Terre Haute several times a year to visit my dad’s family. Often, I would join my mother for a visit to The Woods. The school and this community have always been a part of my life, although I grew up hundreds of miles from here.
My husband, Jason, and I were married in the Church of Immaculate Conception 22 years ago. Our three children have kept us on the move with their many sports and activities through the years. Our oldest, Emma, is beginning her Junior year at The Woods. I volunteer as the Junior Class Advisor and will be very proud to be a part of the ceremony when she receives her ring on March 25th. Our son, Sammy, is starting his first year at Wabash College (his father’s alma mater), where he will be a member of the wrestling team. Our youngest, Libby, is an 8th grader at Saint Patrick Middle School with a busy fall schedule filled with soccer and volleyball games.
While it may seem like we will have a quiet house with only one daughter at home, it’s quite the opposite with our gang of pets. Our fur family has grown to two dogs and six cats—yes, we know that’s crazy! Three are shelter adoptions. The other five must have seen a vacancy light on our porch that we can’t seem to turn off. They are full of energy and shower us with lots of love (and fur!).
4. Why should people become engaged with The Woods?
Watching hundreds of students pour through The Avenue Gate in August—some moving into their new Le Fer or Les Bois homes, others getting cozy in the Goodwin Guest House for their MLD or MTED return—makes my heart happy. When I arrived as a freshman almost 30 years ago, I learned the school felt overwhelmed with an orientation group of almost 120 new, transfer and exchange students. The entire residential student body was smaller than my graduating class in high school. We were a small school, and we were proud to be Woodsies. Unfortunately, at that time, we were one of the best-kept secrets in the Wabash Valley.
Today, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is no secret. We are growing in every way that secures our future. More students, more academic programs, more faculty, more buildings, more teams and more opportunities for continued growth. I encourage everyone to be a part of The Woods—virtually, locally, globally and especially at home on campus.
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