Showing Up for the Next Generation: Why Giving to Saint Mary’s Matters
By Lisa Knox
Kelly Cook Lewis ’97 graduated from Saint Mary’s with a degree in business administration. A resident of Des Moines, Iowa, she is an active alumna; currently the president of the Alumnae Club of Des Moines. Lewis is a senior writer at People, Inc., a media corporation that publishes popular magazines like People, Better Homes & Gardens, and Magnolia Journal. She and husband Chad have a daughter Riley, a senior at Arizona State University.
Lewis is a regular visitor to the College, offering her time and talents to assorted committees and student initiatives. Along the way, Saint Mary’s has also benefited from her generosity of treasure. Particularly close to her heart is the need for scholarships that provide access to a Saint Mary’s education. As a leader on the Madeleva Society Steering Committee, Lewis joins a cohort of volunteer leaders who help guide advancement initiatives and serve as ambassadors of Saint Mary’s. Today, Lewis is relishing in her time as a champion for Ring Out Ring True, the College’s fundraising campaign, which will publicly launch on June 6. Recently, Lewis sat with us to talk about the benefits of giving, and how Saint Mary’s continues to be part of her life.
Kelly, thank you for talking with us and for being a Ring Out Ring True ambassador. We are so excited to have you part of another campaign!
Of course! During the Faith Always Action Now campaign, Carol Mooney was president and I was on the Alumnae Association Board of Directors. I lived in Washington, DC at the time and we hosted campaign events that were so fun. I loved engaging with every level of that local club; we met alumnae from all decades. Today’s campaign is just as exciting because the clubs and volunteer leaders share this common goal of furthering the College.
What particularly excites you about the Ring Out Ring True campaign?
The beauty of Saint Mary’s has always been to meet students where they are. The strategic plan ensures the College's growth so it can continue to meet the needs of today's students. This campaign reflects that through its commitments to leadership, enhancing, and enriching the College we are funding more scholarships, more faculty development, and increasing internship opportunities for students. From my perspective, I can see it—Saint Mary’s needs to continue to change young women’s lives, like it changed mine. I can’t imagine a world without Saint Mary’s, and I don’t want to.
Many young alumnae are curious about philanthropy, but don’t know what it could look like for them. How did you get started as a family?
We started small—really—probably at my fifth Reunion. We are a military family and we moved a lot with Chad’s job. We started ramping up after that, as I became more involved in alumnae clubs and committees. By my 10th Reunion I was on the class gift committee. It felt to me—to our family—that where we choose to give our time is also going to be where we choose to give our treasure.
Your love of Saint Mary’s is a family affair, then.
Yes! We know this campus so well. It’s where Riley went to summer camps; she still talks about the dining hall to this day. Chad feels very comfortable on campus too. We love being around students. Once, when I was on the Alumnae Board, one of the student representatives happened to be from Iowa as well. We still keep in touch with her. We find Belles wherever we go.
What would you say to someone who is thinking, “I’m not in a financial position to make a gift to Saint Mary’s”?
We all go through that. For me, it was not about the amount, but about showing up to support Saint Mary's that I was passionate about. When I think about the women who I came through with, I want to ensure that the next generation continues to have those same opportunities, because the people before me did that. It's showing up for the next generation. Engaging at any level shows you continue to care about this part of your life.
Tell us about your Saint Mary’s experience.
My time at Saint Mary’s is foundational for me in all aspects of my life. The growth of my faith, my academic growth, all of the lessons I learned here have lent themselves to every aspect of my life, including parenting. I value the lessons I learned here on civil discourse almost more than anything. Those fundamentals impact everything in my life. When Chad was in the military, and we moved to a new base, the skills I learned at Saint Mary’s about respecting differences meant that I could find common ground with people that were very different from us. Then, in my business major, Professor (Bill) Shannon made an impact on me. He put his all into our classes. I wish I could talk to him today.
How did your faith evolve?
I was raised Catholic, but went to a public high school. I went to Mass on Sunday, but my faith wasn’t necessarily built into my everyday life. The beauty of coming here was surrounding myself with the women that I did. Saint Mary’s didn’t care if we went to Mass on Saturday night in our fluffy socks; they were meeting us where we were. That allowed me to decide what I wanted, and I became more interested in faith. I was with my friends, comfortable and happy. I really soaked it in. Then, my religion classes were some of my most profound discussions. They will be in my brain the rest of my life. I'm so grateful to have these touch points and reminders.
Where does an all-women’s college fit in today’s world?
It’s interesting. My daughter sees it as a college student today. She's at a huge university. Growing up, she saw me with classmates, but now she sees how close we still are, and how connected we stay to the place where we went to college. While she’s happy with her decision academically, her experience does not look the same. I came to Saint Mary’s in spite of it being an all-women’s college. I left with it as being one of the biggest reasons I choose to support future students.
March 29, 2026