Alumna’s $2.5 Million Gift Supports Student Wellness, Campus Expansion

February 17, 2017 (Notre Dame, Ind.) — Saint Mary’s College alumna Kristine Anderson Trustey ’86 has made a $2.5 million gift to support student wellness and to challenge other prospective donors to contribute to campus growth. Over half of Trustey’s gift ($1.275 million) serves as a one-to-one challenge to donors to help Saint Mary’s complete fundraising for the purchase of approximately 40 acres of land owned by the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The additional land north and west of the campus would expand Saint Mary’s footprint by 40 percent.

“My Saint Mary’s experience helped form me into the person I am today,” Trustey said. “Expanding the campus footprint through this strategic purchase of land means that Saint Mary’s can dream big for the benefit of future generations of young women. I hope others will join me by investing in this exciting opportunity for growth at our beloved College.”

An advocate for women’s health, Trustey’s gift will also establish the Kristine Anderson Trustey ’86 Wellness Program, which will be housed in the Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex. Angela is currently undergoing an expansion and renovation, and Trustey’s gift supports additional construction costs for this facility, scheduled to open in the spring of 2018.

The balance of Trustey’s gift will provide support for Saint Mary’s annual 24-hour Donor Challenge on April 6 when alumnae and friends of the College are invited to give on a single day.

“Kris’s tremendous gift reflects her transformative experience at Saint Mary’s and illustrates her confidence in the future of the College,” Saint Mary’s president Jan Cervelli said. “That she would provide such forward-looking support to enhance the student experience speaks to her generosity and vision, of which Saint Mary's women have long been beneficiaries.”

Among other previous gifts to Saint Mary’s, Trustey and her late husband, Joe (ND ’84), established the Trustey Family Endowed Scholarship during Saint Mary’s $105 million Faith Always, Action Now campaign.

About Saint Mary's College: Celebrating over 175 years of empowering women to make a difference in the world, Saint Mary’s College is recognized as a pioneer and continued force in the education of women. A Catholic, liberal arts institution in Notre Dame, Indiana, the College offers more than 50 undergraduate academic programs and also offers co-educational master’s degrees.