President’s Dinner Celebrates Carthage Momentum
Light that Travels Awards presented to prominent donors
KENOSHA, Wis. – Carthage College celebrated its continued growth and momentum on July 18 at the annual President’s Dinner.
The event took place in the newly named Grace Kolakowski Hall within the A.F. Siebert Chapel. This flexible venue allows students and community members to worship, celebrate, learn, perform, and connect. The name honors Grace Kolakowski, an educator and former elementary school principal from Kenosha.
During the event, Kolakowski received the prestigious Light that Travels award in recognition of her commitment to faith, the arts, and education. Her $3 million gift to Carthage supported significant upgrades to the chapel and scholarships to encourage students to pursue teaching careers in high-need urban schools.
President John Swallow also presented the Light that Travels award to Tom and Jan Duncan, who have advanced nursing education and opportunities for aspiring healthcare professionals. Their more than $1 million in support has funded the Duncan Family Nursing Education Center, nursing scholarships, Firebird athletics, and the launch of the Certified Nurse Aide pathway. Tom Duncan was a hospital administrator who now serves on the Carthage Board of Trustees, and Jan Duncan worked as a speech and language pathologist before retiring.
The Light that Travels award recognizes individuals whose generosity, leadership, advocacy, and vision have expanded opportunities for Carthage students through the College’s historic $100 million Light that Travels campaign.
“The story of Carthage has always been a story of light that travels,” Swallow told guests. “It travels from one generation to the next. From teacher to student. From mentor to mentee. From donor to scholar. From opportunity received to opportunity created.”
Swallow also highlighted Carthage’s strong trajectory at a time when many colleges face enrollment challenges.
“Since 2019, applications are up more than 60 percent…and undergraduate enrollment has grown over 300 students, to almost 2,900,” said Swallow. “We have launched programs where students and the region need them most – engineering, athletic training, healthcare administration, game development, and this year our first Bachelor of Fine Arts degree – as well as programs like the Certified Nurse Aide and Master of Science in Nursing degree.”
Closing the evening, Swallow challenged the donors, volunteers, trustees, alumni, and friends gathered to view philanthropy not simply as charitable giving, but as an investment in people and possibility.
“The future is not something we simply inherit,” Swallow said. “It is something we create together.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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