Nikolay and Rob, co-chairs for their respective 25th reunion gift campaigns, also share a passion for supporting faculty excellence. When we asked them why, their answers point to the heart of the Yale student experience.
Nikolay, you co-chaired your 25th reunion during the height of the pandemic in 2020-2021. What was your proudest moment as gift chair?
Needless to say, the pandemic was a period of great uncertainty. As we embarked on the gift campaign there was a real fear that health concerns, a precarious economic environment, and the inability to have a traditional in-person reunion would hinder participation and cause us to come short of goals. This could not have been further from the truth: participation soared, and we exceeded the original goal by a vast margin. The results are a testament to the commitment and connection members of the Class of 1996 have to each other and to the university, even during such a difficult period. I am very proud of the fact that along with some of my fellow co-chairs, we provided the initial contributions for the FAS Faculty Excellence Fund. I am very pleased that, while separated by hundreds and thousands of miles, we collaborated to invest in something that is so fundamental to Yale’s identity and the Yale undergraduate experience. It’s a worthy cause that I very much hope the classes in the current reunion cycle will take to the next level together.
Rob, what inspired you to take on the role of 25th Reunion Gift Co-Chair for the Class of 1998 this year?
So much of the course of my life this past quarter century has been a result of the path set from my time at Yale that I am eager to find whatever small ways I can to give back. But for my 25th in particular, I have vivid memories of seeing Yale for the first time when I attended my dad’s 25th reunion. I suppose it was love at first sight.
