Brighter Experiences with Residential Life

A $30 million gift from an anonymous donor—the largest single gift commitment in the College’s history—is making it possible for K to imagine new inclusive residential spaces, replacing dormitories designed for the campus experience of 50–100 years ago. As we look toward K’s next century, the College seeks to create residential life programs that embed K-Plan program resources, build living-learning spaces into residence halls and serve as a bridge to the local community.

“This incredibly generous gift will be transformative for K,” President Jorge G. Gonzalez said when the gift was announced in fall of 2023. “It will allow us to launch several strategic initiatives that will enhance the College’s ability to fulfill its mission with distinction and prepare K graduates to bring a brighter light to the world. This gift will put us on the path toward creating the campus experience of the future and help us ensure every student at the College is positioned for success. We are so grateful to the donor for this extraordinary investment in K’s future.”

Primary among those strategic initiatives is planning for future construction of the College’s first new residence hall since the opening of Crissey Hall in 1967, as well as developing new programs to support student success, with a focus on first-generation students.

Read more about K’s historic $30 Million Gift

Brighter Experiences at and after K

Consider helping students like Elle Waldron ’23 get the most out of their K education by making a gift online or contact Andy Miller, Associate Vice President for Development, at 269.337.7327 or Andy.Miller@kzoo.edu. 

Brighter Experiences in Research

The K-Plan empowers students to seek out meaningful experiences throughout their four years on campus. That is certainly the case for Marco Savone ‘22, a senior chemistry major who completed his Senior Integrated Project on exercise physiology, took part in a medical volunteer trip to Costa Rica and worked in a COVID-19 testing lab.  

Looking back on the past four years, Savone sees how far he’s come. He credits his growth to the academics at K, his hands-on experiences completing his SIP, and the lessons in teamwork and time management he learned as a student-athlete on the football field. 

“My experiences wouldn’t have been possible without going to K,” Savone said. “If I had to redo the whole thing again, I would do it the same.”

Read more about Marco and his research

Consider helping student-athletes like Marco Savone ‘22 get the most out of their K education by making a gift online or contacting Andy Miller, Associate Vice President for Development, at 269.337.7327 or Andy.Miller@kzoo.edu. 

Brighter Experiences with the Natatorium

The new Kalamazoo College Natatorium serves the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams, as well as the campus and local community. Made possible through the generosity of donors, the natatorium includes an NCAA competition-compliant pool with wet offices and classrooms, spectator viewing areas, locker rooms, and many more features.

The benefits of a new facility are numerous. Aside from making K a more attractive college to the best DIII recruits, the natatorium will create a space large enough that our swimming and diving teams can practice together. This will lead to better training opportunities and improved team chemistry.

For our campus, the new natatorium will serve as a resource for faculty, staff and students who seek healthy ways to manage stress and encourage balance.

For the broader Kalamazoo community, a new natatorium will provide more opportunities for community-based programs such as Swim for Success.

Naming opportunities remain available. Honor your former teammates. Honor past coaches. Invest in the next generation of K swimming and diving excellence by making a financial gift of support.