Lin Koch, C'03

Lin Koch, C'03, has a habit of staying connected to the University of Richmond. As she phrased it in her remarks during 2016 SPCS Commencement exercises, “The University and SPCS have been an integral part of my life for over 30 years!”

Koch began her connection to Richmond in 1984, working as an operations coordinator and part-time receptionist for the Women’s Resource Center at the University, a career advising program for women returning to the workforce that was part of University College, now called the School of Professional and Continuing Studies.

Since then, she has served many years as an administrative coordinator, and then resource and operations manager, for the University’s Career Services team. There, she supervised and mentored student workers, assisted with the office’s marketing and communications efforts and managed day-to-day operations of a fast-paced, student-focused team operation.

Koch earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Human Resource Management through the School of Professional and Continuing Studies in 2003.

“There are times I thought I lived on campus," Koch reflected on her years at UR, “working full time, taking classes, attending a Modlin Center performance or cheering on our Spiders at an athletic event.”

As busy as she was, though, Koch felt like she needed to do more to give back to the University. “I was receiving so much, but I was giving nothing back to enrich this community. I decided to volunteer my time, talents,” — a word she modestly asked as a question, not a statement — “and resources.”

While finding time to volunteer with a busy schedule challenged and even sometimes overwhelmed her, Koch learned that by volunteering, she received far more than she gave. She recounted that one of her favorite volunteering opportunity was being involved in the SPCS Alumni Association. “It allowed me to not only reconnect with my fellow alumni,” she recalled, ”but also to raise scholarship funds for our SPCS students through creative programming efforts. Being a part of that team is an experience I will never forget!”

As she closed her address to the graduates, she welcomed them as new graduates to the SPCS Alumni Association and invited them to attend the next Capital City Classic in the fall, when she predicted “the Spiders will crush the Rams.”

Koch's charge to graduates was simple: “I encourage YOU to find your passion — whatever it is — commit time to pursue it.“

She ended that charge with a promise: “And you will walk away feeling energized and uplifted.”