Catherine Lovett ’25

Remarks from Moravian University Societies Dinner on October 26, 2023:

Good evening! I want to thank you all for being here tonight. It has been a pleasure talking with many of you as you have come through these doors. I want to let you know that your contributions and commitment to better Moravian University have greatly affected me and I am forever thankful. But, before I go into all of the wonderful things that have come out of your generous donations and support, I would like to formally introduce myself.

My name is Catie Lovett. I am from a small town in North Jersey, called Vernon. I am currently a junior nursing major with the goal of becoming a Certified Nurse Anesthetist. Since I was young, I have always wanted to help make a difference in people’s lives. I have two younger siblings, named Danny and Maureen. Danny is 18 years old and going to college for his nursing degree, and Maureen is 15 and in her sophomore year of high school and intends to attend Moravian. Thanks to my dad and his continuous support, I have always been involved in sports and my various communities, which has continued over to now as I swim and run cross country and track, here at Moravian. Much of who I am today is in part due to my active participation in the things around me, with one of them being swimming. My swimming career started at the age of five for a local summer team. After that summer, I started swimming competitively for the Sussex County YMCA. I attended Pope John XXIII Regional High School, where I participated in cross country, field hockey, track, and swim. During the beginning of my senior year of high school, I received a handwritten letter from Jesse Baumann, the head coach of cross country and track for Moravian. As set as I was on attending another school, I was persuaded by my dad to tour Moravian. Within the first few minutes of stepping on campus, I knew this place would be my home. Little did I know how much of an impact Moravian would have on me. 

I am a firm believer that what you put in is what you get out. And thankfully, Moravian has so much to offer that it is easy to get involved and connected. I am extremely thankful for being a Student Alumni Representative, also known as a STAR. This opportunity brought me here tonight to connect with you all. And as many of you have your own fond memories of and at Moravian, many of mine are associated with the people on campus, the main reason I chose to attend. 

The community that Moravian has is like no other, and tonight is a great representation of that. The drive to constantly improve and do better for future generations is unmatched. Without your loyalty to Moravian, I would not be able to attend. As the first of my siblings to go to college, there were many new things that my dad and I learned, much of it being how helpful scholarships are. This past year I was selected as the first recipient of the Anna Nitschmann Society Endowed Scholarship, a fund established by the inaugural members of the Anna Nitschmann Society. It has been an honor working with Mrs. Lea Grigsby and fellow inaugural society members of the first giving society dedicated to women by women. These women have goals, like Anna Nitschmann did, and come together to inspire and create change. It is an indescribable feeling knowing that I have these strong females supporting me every step of the way. Mrs. Grigsby and President Grigsby have been a bright light in my educational career; my friends are always amazed when I tell them that students at Moravian have lunches and dinners with the President on a regular basis—something I am forever grateful for as it shows their dedication to know each and every student. I did not want to be a number at a school, and Moravian has shown me that each of us has the power and talent to change the world.

If there is one thing I want you to take away from this, it is that I have learned that with support, we are capable of doing anything we put our minds to. The people and connections we make here at Moravian are lifelong. I am glad to call Moravian my home and know that I always have a place to come back to. Thank you all for your generosity. I cannot wait for the day that I can help students achieve their goals as you have helped me.