Conservation Leader Urges Grads: ‘Don’t Get Overwhelmed, Get Involved’
Kathleen Fitzgerald ’92, HD’24, a conservation leader with extensive experience in integrated large landscape conservation and development programs in Africa and North America, shared her insights on finding purpose and making a positive impact in life after receiving an honorary doctorate at Commencement.
“Don’t get overwhelmed, get involved,” she urged graduates. She also noted the 50th anniversary of our Kenya Semester Program. “It was through the Kenya Semester Program that I was introduced to Kenya, which became my home, alongside South Africa, for 15 years."
Fitzgerald encouraged graduates to pick something they’re passionate about and to pursue it without distraction.
“I am going to warn you, whatever field you pick, people are going to tell you, ‘That won’t work, we tried that, don’t even bother.’ But here is the thing—it might work, and you should bother.”
At Conservation Capital, where she was a partner, Fitzgerald raised and invested funds in cutting-edge businesses to leverage conservation and social impact, like community-owned tourism lodges in Namibia, Uganda, and Ethiopia.
“All of these carried risk and some did not work,” she explained. “But we learned from our mistakes, improved the product, and those that did work, continue to provide critical support for conservation and community development.”
