Influential Volunteering

It’s a Friday evening in early spring and families fill the Seal Athletic Center, decked out in candy colored light. In the center of the court stands a stage, rising above the packed crowd, where Kathy and Mike Bor P ’23 ’27 and Nimisha and Aaron Montgomery P ’35, the 2023 Spring Party & Auction co-chairs, are about to pull a number out of a Bingo roller, announcing the winner of a raffle for half off one student’s tuition. The number is pulled and Cougars erupt in cheers, reaching a cadence of enthusiasm that is typical for the Spring Party & Auction. The evening really is a rollicking party — held in the name of philanthropy, where every dollar raised supports the mission of Collegiate — and, like conductors of an orchestra, the Bors and the Montgomerys are there helping facilitate that warm energy.

The decision to become Spring Party Chairs was an easy one. Kathy had served as the Decorations Chair the previous year, and when asked by a member of the Development Office if she and her husband Mike would be interested in getting more involved, she didn’t hesitate to say yes. “The Spring Party is truly a celebration of all the things that Collegiate does for their students,” Kathy says. “This year, we really wanted to do as much as we could to support the faculty and staff here, and raising more money at the Auction is an important aspect of creating opportunities for everyone at the School, particularly the faculty and staff. Educating students is the fabric of our community, and being a part of that in any way was special.”

The Bors then asked the Montgomerys, who also eagerly jumped at the opportunity. As new parents of a Kindergartner, the Montgomerys saw the Spring Party as a way to connect with families and support the School in a specific, intentional way. “I thought, ‘This is going to be our home for the next 12 years, and I want to hit the ground running,’” Aaron explains. “This is our community, our neighborhood, and I knew volunteering would be fun and impactful.”

Each year, the Spring Party includes a Paddle Raise for a special initiative that is important to the future of the School. Last year’s priority was the newly created Collegiate Fellows’ Program, which was established to nurture and mentor early career educators and career changers. The Montgomerys were excited to help facilitate the growth of the Fellows’ Program through the Spring Party. “The Paddle Raise delivers a great service,” Aaron says. “To be able to identify one specific area of need is a pretty special way to facilitate giving. It feels more immediate than an Annual Fund contribution, because it feels like we’re all coming together for one purpose. Being part of a night that supports the Fellows’ Program, which will help the School both in the long and short term, was personally very exciting.” 

As the night was ending, Kathy stopped for a moment to take it all in. What she witnessed was a community in action — everyone joining together for one purpose. “Collegiate is just a great community of people,” she says. “You have so many people giving their time and money to the institution. Every time I step on campus — whether I’m volunteering or going to pick up my kid — I just have this warm feeling. By having time to give back to the community in different ways, I feel the joys of connection.”