Dear Sewanee Family,

Summer is always a mix of recreation and transition. In the Division of University Relations, we’re enjoying the long, sunny days, but we’re also preparing for the start of a new fiscal year! 

We’d very much appreciate your help in flipping the calendar. By June 30, we hope you’ll make a gift at support.sewanee.edu. Thanks for your generosity!

July 1 will also bring new leadership to our team. We’re excited to welcome Burns Jones, C’95, P’28, as vice-president for university relations, and we know he’s looking forward to being on the Mountain. You’ll hear from him soon!

Wishing you great summer adventures!

Your friends in University Relations

Kate Belknap, C'83

Kate Belknap, C’83, embarked on her college search with a mental checklist of desired campus features. Though she found Sewanee’s strong pre-med program appealing, “Academics was not the first thing on my list,” she says. Primarily, she looked for the opportunity to advance her athletic abilities—particularly as a field hockey player.

Sewanee met that objective, supporting Belknap in her journey to becoming a regional All-American and an eventual inductee into the Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame.

Despite some initial misgivings about her scholarly abilities, Belknap quickly found her place in Sewanee’s classrooms, too. Shifting from the pre-med track to an English major, she gained valuable guidance from her freshman advisor, Professor Emeritus of English Bob Benson. 

Having now served for 30 years as an English instructor at Colorado Mesa University, Belknap is passionate about the power of higher education in shaping highly engaged citizens. Recently, she and her husband, Bill Bruchak, provided a major gift for multiple vital purposes, including endowed support for scholarships, field hockey, women’s soccer, and the University’s Center for Teaching. “I feel so lucky that I’m in the position to be generous,” she says. “Not everybody has the good fortune I do. It’s important to me to make the most of it.”  

When Kevin Harper, C’75, thinks about his favorite spots on the Domain, he doesn’t picture any of the landmarks you might expect. Though he says he enjoys places such as Abbo’s Alley, the Sewanee Memorial Cross, and Lake Cheston, he saves his highest praise for the fire trails that extend through Sewanee’s remote stretches of woods. During his years on Sewanee’s cross-country and track teams, he typically ran between 80 and 90 miles per week, and the trails formed his route. “There’s nothing like them,” he says. “They’re kind of my Sewanee campus.”

Kevin, C'75, and Denise Harper

Harper’s time on the trails paid off—in 1973, he was named a national All-American in cross-country, though he modestly points out that he placed 25th out of the 25 qualifiers. (“In the whole scope of things, I was the slowest All-American in the country that year.”) In 2005, he was inducted into the Sewanee Athletics Hall of Fame.

Six years after graduating from the University, Harper took a job as a sales representative for Nike, and he remained with the company until his retirement. Last year, he paid tribute to his time on the Mountain by establishing a planned gift to the Class of 1975 Endowed Scholarship Fund. “Sewanee set the stage for so much of my life,” he says.

The most beautiful campus in the country deserves residence halls and academic buildings that pair historic charm with modern functionality. Earlier this year, the inside of Hoffman Hall was completely transformed with new flooring, paint, and LED lighting, as well as updated appliances. Gifts from the Sewanee family have been instrumental in enabling these improvements. Additional building enhancements are planned for the months ahead. If you're interested in supporting this work, please email us!

Thanks to support from alumni in the Classes of 1980 and 1982, Hoffman Hall's common area received a total makeover with new lighting, flooring, paint, and furniture.

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The University of the South • Office of University Relations • waystogive.sewanee.edu

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