Building Connections and Giving Back

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 Dana Hall Bulletin.

It is quite evident that Kate Hirsch Koller ’74 is a natural people person. Whether collecting Class Notes for the Bulletin, encouraging classmates to attend their 50th Reunion, or leading her class’s fundraising efforts to name a new classroom in the Upper School Building, Koller enjoys maintaining contact with the members of the Class of 1974 and helping them connect with each other.

Koller’s list of volunteer roles reflect her loyalty and love for Dana Hall; she is a Class Correspondent as well as a member of the Alumnae Council and the Alumnae Fundraising Committee. She is a former member of the Alumnae Association Board and the Dana Hall Corporation, and previously served as the Alumnae Gift Chair for the Dana Fund. Most recently she has focused her efforts as a member of the Class of 1974’s 50th Reunion Committee. “We had classmates who hadn’t been back for 50 years, and they couldn’t have been happier that they came back,” Koller said. “We have such a fabulous group of women. There’s something about having these long-term relationships. That’s one thing I think we all learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that life is all about people and relationships. If there’s any opportunity to reconnect with people you enjoyed at Dana Hall, or even those who maybe you didn’t know well, it is very rewarding.”

There’s a sense of gratitude that underscores Koller’s dedication and volunteerism. “I think about that last line of the Alma Mater, that we always sang very loudly. I feel indebted to Dana Hall,” she explained. “The school changed me as a person. It really put me on a different trajectory both personally and professionally.” Koller grew up in a very small town in Vermont and arrived at Dana Hall, in her words, “very green,” and a bit overwhelmed. “It was a very nurturing environment for me,” she recalled. “Whether it was house parents or teachers or campus faculty members I babysat for, people cared about me and guided me. I never had a sister, and here I was with all of these girls, enjoying their company in school and living together. We formed bonds that last forever.”

Koller credits the strong writing skills she gained via the Dana Hall curriculum and an early computer programming course taught by Jim Williamson as keys to her later success. “After college, I wanted to return to Germany where I had studied abroad,” she explained. “I got a job running a computer in a medical laboratory because I wasn’t afraid of computers, like many people might have been in 1978.” She later worked as a programmer and systems analyst at Fidelity before joining a small start-up where she sold PC-based financial analysis and portfolio management software. “Computers ended up playing a big role in my professional life, and it all started at Dana Hall.” Moreover, she is keenly aware of the leadership skills and confidence that she first honed at Dana Hall. “Back in the early 1970s, we didn’t always hear the message that women are strong and capable, but we heard it at Dana Hall. That confidence also helped me to start testing out leadership at Dana Hall,” she said, noting that she was sophomore class president and then all-school vice president in her senior year.

There’s one more reason Koller is so generous with her time and resources as a Dana Hall volunteer: “Everyone says this, and it’s very true: you get so much more than you give. Volunteering makes you feel good, while you do good. A little bit goes a long way, and it’s so rewarding.” In recognition of her many years of volunteer leadership, Koller was awarded the 2024 Distinguished Service Award, which honors an individual, couple or group who has consistently demonstrated extraordinary commitment, dedication and service to the advancement of Dana Hall School. 

In the photo: Distinguished Service Award honoree Kate Hirsch Koller (front row, center) gathered in April with many of her classmates from the Class of 1974 to celebrate their 50th Dana Hall Reunion.