More than 50 members of the Knox community, including alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends, attended Venture Boldly Seattle at The Ruins, on Thursday, April 10. One of the more truly unique Venture Boldly venues, The Ruins welcomed guests to the event with a life-sized painted horse sculpture at the venue’s garden entrance. A candle-lit hallway led them into the vibrantly painted main venue.
Trustee Dan Spaulding ’99 and his wife, Liz Holmes Spaulding ’99, opened the evening’s program, welcoming attendees and discussing the exciting future that they see ahead for Knox. Dan also noted he was grateful to Knox because it’s where he and Liz met.
The Spauldings were followed by Vice President and Director of Athletics Justin Newell, who took the stage to discuss his vision for Prairie Fire Athletics. President C. Andrew McGadney then took the stage to celebrate 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.
President McGadney concluded his remarks by calling on attendees to Venture Boldly for Knox by volunteering, attending events, becoming ambassadors, and giving to the College. Attendees were then invited to sing the Knox Hymn, during which Knox Choir alumni added some harmony to the beloved song.
Trustee Juliana Tioanda ’95 closed the program by taking a group selfie of the event that she shared on her own social media, telling the crowd, “Andy gave you a test, and now I’m giving you homework.” The assignment: To become a Knox ambassador by sharing their photos from the event on their social media.
The evening concluded with more refreshments, including a signature purple cocktail curated by The Ruins, and conversations, along with a number of visits to the Ambassador’s Corner, a photo spot for event attendees, fulfilling their “homework” assignment. See photos 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.