{"id":8353,"date":"2026-06-01T11:34:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T15:34:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trincoll.edu\/reporter\/?page_id=8353"},"modified":"2026-06-02T12:25:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:25:24","slug":"opening-doors-of-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.trincoll.edu\/reporter\/spring-2026\/features\/opening-doors-of-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Opening Doors of Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Story by Mary Howard
\nPhotos by Anne Day<\/p>\n

If you received a call from a student about the Trinity College Fund, you may have spoken to Demetra Danas \u201926. A public policy and law major, Danas took a job as a student advancement officer in her sophomore year \u201cwith no experience or knowledge if the job was for me.\u201d Now, she says, she loves connecting with alumni and hearing their stories about Trinity. \u201cI hope to work in college advancement after graduation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Danas also is chair of the Senior Class Gift Committee, which encourages seniors to donate to the Trinity College Fund. Just two weeks after launching the campaign last fall, she and her team surpassed their yearlong goal, reaching 260 donors and raising nearly $6,000 in support of the College.<\/p>\n

She stresses that gifts of any size make a difference: \u201cNo matter the amount, giving means that those who follow in our footsteps will have the same experience or better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Annual giving is key to Trinity\u2019s success, says Ben Anderson, vice president for advancement.<\/p>\n

\"\"\u201cAnnual giving through the Trinity College Fund is one of Trinity\u2019s most enduring traditions\u2014alongside the lemon squeezer and signing the Matriculation book,\u201d says Anderson. \u201cFrom our earliest days, generations of alums and families have joined together as a community of support. Year after year, these committed donors give at every level, and together, we fuel every aspect of the Trinity experience and create possibility for our students. The historic achievements of the recently completed All In campaign\u2014which elevated annual support of the Trinity College Fund to $10 million\u2014serve as a launchpad for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Danas, Matt Schiller \u201901 gives to the Trinity College Fund \u201cso other students can have the same opportunities I had.\u201d He\u2019s a Loyal Bantam, meaning he\u2019s given for five or more consecutive years, and a Reunion donor, celebrating his 25th in June. A scholarship student, he says his Trinity experience developed his entrepreneurial and leadership skills, setting him on a course to start his own business. He is a founding partner with Murphy Schiller & Wilkes LLP, a boutique law firm in Newark, New Jersey, that represents clients in a wide range of commercial real estate transactions and litigation matters throughout the country.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Vernon, Connecticut, Schiller said, he saw Trinity as a school with an excellent reputation, where he could \u201cwork hard and play hard.\u201d He also liked the idea of following in the footsteps of his mother, Amy Kravitz Schiller \u201976, P\u201901. A political science major, he was part of the Cities Program that focused on urban studies in Hartford and globally. He says the program helped form his decision to pursue a career in commercial real estate law.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had so many experiences at Trinity that built my entrepreneurial and leadership skills,\u201d he says. Among those was being chosen as captain of the men\u2019s varsity swim team by then-head coach Kristen Noone, now deputy director of athletics. \u201cI wasn\u2019t the best swimmer, but she saw something in me,\u201d he says. \u201cThe confidence I gained on the swim team provided me with the leadership skills necessary to build my own firm and assume key roles in state and national legal and real estate organizations. It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgia Cantrell \u201926 also found her calling at Trinity, much to the delight of her parents, Sean and Caley Cantrell P\u201926. The family lives in Richmond, Virginia, but Georgia \u201cmade it very clear she wanted to be above the Mason-Dixon line,\u201d says Caley Cantrell. After visiting many New England colleges, Georgia\u2019s search ended when they stopped at Trinity on a whim. \u201cShe said she could see herself there,\u201d says Cantrell.<\/p>\n

Their first Family Weekend confirmed that Georgia had made the right choice. \u201cShe escorted us around campus, introduced us to friends, and even showed us the carrel where she studied,\u201d says Cantrell. \u201cShe is so comfortable there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgia explored multiple disciplines and found her passion when she took her first art history class. \u201cWe never thought art history would be her major,\u201d says Cantrell. A study-abroad trip to Paris was a \u201cbig growth experience\u201d for Georgia, as was working as a teaching assistant for her advisers, Jean Cadogan, now professor of fine arts, emerita, and Alden Gordon, now Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Fine Arts, Emeritus.<\/p>\n

Georgia plans to pursue a career in art and is hoping to work at Christie\u2019s auction house in New York City, says Cantrell. She says her gratitude as a parent motivates her to support the Trinity College Fund. \u201cI want other students to have the same experiences as Georgia,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s important to set the table for the next person in line.\u201d<\/p>\n

Setting the table for the next person resonates with Joshua Frank \u201916. \u201cSomeone at some point decided to give money to Trinity to help people like me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

A dedicated student from Brooklyn, New York, Frank took advantage of the many opportunities offered at Trinity, serving as vice president and president of the Student Government Association. He also fondly remembers being a student representative on the search committee that hired former President Joanne Berger-Sweeney.<\/p>\n

Frank, who earned a B.A. in political science, notes, \u201cTrinity College provided the platform to explore public policy and law through internships at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Connecticut General Assembly, and Bloomberg Law.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduation, he received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Malaysia. He then earned a J.D. from Berkeley Law and now serves as a legal fellow with the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission in New York City.<\/p>\n

Frank expresses gratitude to his family, College offices, and the broader Trinity community for their continued support throughout his academic and professional journey. Giving to the Trinity College Fund, he says, is a way to show this appreciation. He\u2019s does so as a Nest Builder, part of a special giving society of young alumni dedicated to supporting Trinity\u2019s future and the next generation of students. Frank also is a Loyal Bantam and a Reunion donor, as well as a member of the Long Walk Societies, making a leadership gift every year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also giving because I believe deeply in preserving Trinity for the future,\u201d Frank adds. \u201cAt a time when many are questioning the value of a college degree, I think there is real truth to the idea that a strong liberal arts model, paired with a robust and engaged alumni community, is one of the best antidotes to the economic and professional challenges people face today.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many, the Trinity experience is about relationships\u2014with classmates, professors, coaches, staff, and administrators. And Reunions offer a way for alumni to celebrate those relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrinity provided me with many special, lifelong friendships,\u201d says Chip \u201cGoodie\u201d Goode \u201976. Vice president of his class and Reunion co-chair with Sue Weisselberg \u201976, he will celebrate those friendships at his 50th Reunion in June.<\/p>\n

Goode applied to Trinity Early Decision while a student at Noble and Greenough School just outside Boston. An urban studies major and part of the Cities Program, he spent his junior year at The London School of Economics, Oxford University, and the University of Freiburg. During his senior year, he traveled to Russia on a trip led by Samuel D. Kassow \u201966, now Charles H. Northam Professor of History, Emeritus. \u201cBoth on and off campus, Trinity opened me up to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

In classes with professors like Kassow, Goode learned to think critically, to question the status quo, and to show resilience and perseverance. \u201cI also learned to accept and learn from failure, and that has been tremendously helpful as an entrepreneur.\u201d<\/p>\n

After earning an M.B.A. in entrepreneurship from Babson College, Goode and spouse Laura built several successful businesses, including Kiradjieff & Goode, one of the country\u2019s leading super-boutique executive search firms.<\/p>\n

If Goode has his way, his 50th Reunion will set College records, particularly in attendance and in 50th Reunion giving to the Trinity College Fund. \u201cI would encourage everyone,\u201d he says, \u201cto reflect on their Trinity experiences and please give back so current and future students can have the same experiences we all benefited from!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Story by Mary Howard Photos by Anne Day If you received a call from a student about the Trinity College Fund, you may have spoken to Demetra Danas \u201926. A public policy and law major, Danas took a job as a student advancement officer in her sophomore year \u201cwith no experience or knowledge if the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":139,"featured_media":0,"parent":8229,"menu_order":5,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-reporter-article.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8353","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","reporter_issue-spring-2026"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOpening Doors of Opportunity - The Trinity Reporter<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.trincoll.edu\/reporter\/spring-2026\/features\/opening-doors-of-opportunity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opening Doors of Opportunity\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Story by Mary Howard Photos by Anne Day If you received a call from a student about the Trinity College Fund, you may have spoken to Demetra Danas \u201926. 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