Expressing Gratitude by Paying it Forward

Katrina “Kate” Kerkering CC’93 understands the impact of financial aid firsthand. She submitted her application on a whim after coming across a Columbia brochure during her college search. Not only had the Pacific Northwest native never been to New York, but also the cost seemed out of reach. So when Kerkering received her acceptance letter, along with a financial aid package that made Columbia College attainable, she was stunned. She enrolled without ever setting foot on campus and describes her first year “as one of excitement and discomfort, sometimes at the same time, but also a time of tremendous growth.”

Kerkering’s circumstances as a College applicant are not unusual, even to this day. The College strives to make its education accessible through need-blind admissions and full-need aid policies that enable the most talented students to attend, despite their family’s financial situation. More than half of Columbia College students receive financial aid, with an average annual financial aid package of more than $50,000.

Reflecting on her undergraduate experience thanks to financial aid, Kerkering says, “It was really impactful. Another person’s generosity enabled me to be on campus and take classes that expanded my mind and vision of the world. A great way for me to express my gratitude is to do the same for somebody else.”

Today, Kerkering and her husband, Alex Chen, live in Seattle with their two children, and “paying it forward” is a family motto. Chen’s father, Winston H. Chen, came to the United States from Taiwan in the 1960s to pursue a Ph.D. at Harvard on a full fellowship. He became an engineer and worked for IBM before becoming CEO of a pioneering electronics manufacturing firm, Solectron. Forever inspired by the life-changing gift of financial aid that allowed him to attend Harvard, in the early 1990s he created the Paramitas Foundation to give back to higher education.

Staying true to this guiding principle, Kerkering and Chen recently established the Kate Kerkering and Alex Chen Scholarship Fund. Kerkering’s motivation for this gift was clear: “So that someone like me, some Kate somewhere in some town, has the same opportunity as I did.” In addition to Kekering’s personal history, the couple‘s philanthropy is driven by the understanding that financial constraints can cause talented students to choose more affordable alternatives. Kerkering adds, “There are bright and talented students who could do wonderful things with a Columbia education. Taking away that barrier, which doesn’t have anything to do with ability, is huge.”

Lamiya Rahman CC’24, a New York native with dreams of saving lives as a physician, is one of those students. As the first recipient of the Kate Kerkering and Alex Chen Scholarship Fund, Rahman’s reaction to receiving the award brought Kekering and Chen’s vision full circle. Rahman says, “When I received my acceptance letter, it was the happiest day of my life. When my parents immigrated to America, they never imagined that their daughter would be able to attend a prestigious university and fulfill her dreams. Every day, I am so thankful for and appreciative of being a student at Columbia College.”

Core to Commencement, the College’s first campaign dedicated exclusively to raising funds to support Columbia College students and faculty, was designed to create opportunities for undergraduates like Rahman. Through this ambitious undertaking, 104 newly endowed scholarships have been established and more than $230 million has been raised in support of financial aid.

President Lee C. Bollinger recently announced the Columbia Student Support Initiative, a University-wide commitment to raise $1.4 billion in financial assistance by June 2025. This initiative, encompassing all 16 schools, continues Columbia’s longstanding priority to make its transformative education accessible to talented students regardless of their financial circumstances. At the undergraduate level, Columbia College will play a central role in the campaign’s success, with a goal of raising $500 million in support of financial aid.

Kerkering sees her family’s contribution as one building block in a collective endeavor of paying it forward. She reflects, “Generosity is exponential. One small deed turns into many deeds and has an impact on so many lives over time."