Hundreds of members of the Knox community have attended our first eight Venture Boldly events around the country, but our first canine member of the community made an appearance at the festivities in Portland. French bulldog Joy accompanied Chava Solberg ’19, leader of the Portland Knox Club, to the event at The University Club on Wednesday, April 9.
Solberg and Joy were just two out of the nearly three dozen community members who gathered to connect and celebrate Knox’s future and the Venture Boldly campaign—the first comprehensive campaign in 20 years. Solberg also welcomed Knox alumni, parents, and friends to the evening’s festivities. She was followed by the West Coast premier of the Venture Boldly video, after which Vice President and Director of Athletics Justin Newell took the stage to discuss his vision for Prairie Fire Athletics.
President C. Andrew McGadney followed Newell and celebrated the current momentum the College is experiencing, including the opening of the new Knight Living & Learning Facility at Green Oaks, a record-setting fall 2025 class, and updates to residence halls and other buildings on campus. He also shared his vision for the College’s future growth–the foundation for the Venture Boldly campaign–and closed his remarks by encouraging Knox alumni and friends to participate in the largest campaign in the College’s history: volunteer, attend events, be a Knox ambassador, and give to support the College’s bold future.
Stacia Mattan, executive assistant to the president and proud Knox parent, also helped encourage attendees to become Knox ambassadors by introducing the Ambassador’s Corner. Designed to be a photo booth for event attendees, the corner featured a Venture Boldly banner along with a variety of Knox swag. Attendees, including Joy and owner Chava, took a moment to capture the evening’s festivities. See their photo and more on the Knox College Flickr.
Upcoming Venture Boldly events include San Francisco and Los Angeles in April, followed on May 2 with a grand return to Knox and Galesburg.