Lara Druyan, AB’89

Why I give to the University of Chicago

My family's history with the University predates my birth by two generations. As a result of having two great uncles (SB, MS, PhD for both), a great aunt (AB, MSW), a cousin (AB, MSW), father (LAB, AB, SB, MD and Professor of Medicine) and mother (PhD) attend the University, I can honestly say I have deep roots in Hyde Park. More importantly, I regard the education I received from the College to be the best I could have received anywhere. Where else could I have taken a quarter-long course on Plato's Republic as an undergraduate from one of the leading scholars in the world? I believe that education and experience I had are unique to Chicago. In addition, many of my closest friends date back to my college days. Thus, I feel I owe a debt to Chicago for both my education and for lifelong friends I would not have met anywhere else.

How I support the University

I have been a consistent donor and an active volunteer. After graduating from the College, I served as the Chair of the Alumni Schools Committee in the Bay Area for a couple of years. I helped plan my 10th reunion and was a fundraiser for my 15th reunion. I also serve as an alumni career advisor for students in the College. Over the past couple of years, I have worked with and chaired the University of Chicago's Bay Area Leadership Committee (BALC), a group that focuses on engaging alumni in and around San Francisco. The primary goals of the BALC are to make the University more relevant to its alumni and to generate interest in giving much needed financial support to the College.

Why it is important for me to volunteer my time

When I have asked others to give time or money to the University, some people have suggested that the University has a big endowment, that it doesn't need their gifts. Having spent a fair bit of time working with the Development Office, I know that isn't true. Chicago must keep up with its peers in order to provide competitive financial aid packages to prospective students and to provide the types of services and facilities students have come to expect from the best schools in the country. Attracting the brightest students helps the University and all of its alumni, as these students are a great reflection on all of us. Every little bit of time, effort and money matter in this effort, so I view my efforts as valuable.

Why I think the University of Chicago is different from other schools

The access undergraduates have to a fabulous faculty is unparalleled at Chicago because the vast majority of the classes are small, and many senior faculty members teach in the College. I am not aware of another university that provides those resources to its college students. When I was a first year, I had the good fortune to take humanities with Professor Lauren Berlant, for whom I had the utmost respect and fondness. During my third and fourth years, I took two more courses from her, and we became friends. I am fortunate because many years later, I still consider her to be a terrific source of inspiration and guidance. I don't know of anyone who attended a major university who has that kind of relationship with one of their college professors. That does happen in small, liberal arts colleges, but not at Chicago's peer institutions.

Why other alumni should get involved

Alumni should get involved because supporting one's alma mater is a rewarding activity for many reasons, both selfless and selfish. The University has been home to some of the world's greatest scholars across an amazing variety of disciplines. It's an incredibly gratifying feeling to think that one's efforts abet continuing that tradition. Selfishly, as Chicago alumni, we should all want the University to increase its visibility, to augment its reputation in the academic, research, legal, medical and business realms because that reflects well on us individually and as a group. Aren't we all proud when the Nobel Committee announces yet another Chicago Professor or alum as a recipient? I know I am.