A new Catherine for St Catharine’s

The following article was first published in this year's edition of The Wheel, the College's annual newsletter, in June 2023. 

St Catharine’s is delighted to welcome Catherine Twilley FRSA (2023) as the College’s new Development Director. Catherine joins the College with a strong track record in Cambridge fellowship and alumni engagement. Here she shares some of her journey so far:

"I first came to Cambridge in 1989 to read for a BA in Classics at St John’s College. While I perhaps didn’t appreciate it at the time, looking back at the supervisions I had with the people who were writing the books in my subject was an incredible privilege and something that I recognise as the cornerstone of a Cambridge education; something that sets it apart from most other universities. I also relished the opportunities for other activities, such as rowing, Rag (a student society which raises money for charity), and swimming (I even went to a trial session for women’s rugby, but it wasn’t for me!), and I benefitted hugely from the book grants and travel grants, enabling me to explore my interests in the classical world more fully. Most of all, perhaps, I made lifelong friends. It is for all of these reasons that my career has been in a field where I can help future generations of young people to experience these same opportunities.

"My work in development has taken me from St John’s (where I established the Development Office, known as the Johnian Office to reflect the fact that we were there to engage with all members of College), to Christ’s (where I was Fellow and Development Director from 2008 to 2023) and now to St Catharine’s.

"St Catharine’s has a reputation in Cambridge for being a friendly College, and I can attest to this: everyone I have met so far has been extremely welcoming. As well as getting to know staff and Fellows, I have been fortunate to meet a number of alumni in Cambridge and London, and I recently travelled to Hong Kong and Singapore to meet members and friends of the College further afield. I have been very impressed by our current students, some of whom I saw in action at a Q&A session for a visiting school. Our current students are the best ambassadors for us, and they are impressive young people, combining their academic studies with participation in a whole range of other activities.

"I joined in April as Development Director-elect, and am grateful to my predecessor in the role, Mrs Deborah Loveluck, for her advice and support in the month before her retirement. The Alumni and Development Office team has also given me a great deal of advice and support as I get to know a new College. I have been pleased to see the tangible results of the support given over the last few years, particularly in terms of the Central Spaces building project, and the creation of an excellent wellbeing team. I am looking forward to getting to know alumni and friends over the coming years and encouraging further engagement with this wonderful College, building on foundations already laid, to help ensure that St Catharine’s remains an exceptional place with an exceptional community."