Kathekon

The Student Members of Kathekon

Kathekon is a student organization designed to improve student-alumni relations. The term Kathekon comes from the Greek phrase meaning "having an ethos of caring" or "to serve" and embodies how members of Kathekon support Alumni Engagement on campus. Students also connect with the history and workings of the university and strive for camaraderie within the group and with the Alumni Engagement staff. This comfort and familiarity serve as the foundation for continued engagement after members graduate.

Kathekon members assist with on-campus alumni weekends and events, create mission-fulfilling events for current students, and are given behind-the-scenes looks into the university. One of its biggest events is Say Hey Day, which the club sponsors twice a year to encourage students to embrace the Speaking Tradition.

Membership is by application only in early spring and is limited to rising juniors and seniors in good academic and general standing in the W&L community. Kathekon seeks a varied group of students who, by their demonstrated and planned involvement and passion for W&L, wish to deepen their connection with the university. Alumni Engagement staff and the leaders of the group conduct interviews with finalists, with a goal of approximately 40 members split evenly between juniors and seniors.

John Jensen ’01, Executive Director of Alumni and Career Services, currently serves as the staff advisor for Kathekon.

Kathekon Steering Committee

Janae Darby '25
Stafford, Virginia

Charlie MIcek '25
Monclova, Ohio

Porter Neubauer '25
Belvidere, Tennessee

Walt Phillips '25
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Morgan Smith '26
Roanoke, Virginia

Bella Timmerding '26
Cincinnati, Ohio

Class of 2025

Aoife Braverman
Santa Barbara, California

Alexandra Byler
Jenkintown, Pennsylvania

Lily Greenwald
Angleton, Texas

Frankie Maloof
Atlanta, Georgia

Ryan McKenna
Ridgewood, New Jersey

Mohammed Mourtaja
Gaza

Jacob Romero
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Yewon Shin
Yorba Linda, California

Harris Stripling
Bluffton, South Carolina

Trip Wright
Park Hills, Kentucky

John Williams
Towson, Maryland

Class of 2026

Robert Bernot
Atlanta, Georgia

Gretchen Cadranell
Summit, New Jersey

Sai Chebrolu
Glen Allen, Virginia

Carter Cox
Shreveport, Louisiana

Mackenzie Goethe
Columbia, South Carolina

Roger Hart
Richmond, Virginia

Ben Hulsey
Woodberry Forest, Virginia

Anh Le
Hanoi, Vietnam

Will Mahmud
Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Barclay McGinley
Mobile, Alabama

Zack Puckett
Williamsburg, Virginia

Daniel Reiter
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Kaitlin Silva
S Dartmouth, Massachusetts

Sarah Stockton
Goldsboro, North Carolina

Wilks Taylor
San Francisco, California

Marshall Wilt
Nashville, Tennessee

Nisha Walvekar
Pune, India

Sam Brown
Des Moines, Iowa

Olivia Neve
Fort Worth, Texas