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As a development associate, Andrea Kopylech builds relationships to support teaching, research and student experiences in ALES.

For new ALES development associate Andrea Kopylech, it all comes down to story. As a self-described storyteller, her role involves diving deep into the fascinating work happening across the faculty and sharing those discoveries with donors, alumni and the wider community. It’s a position that perfectly blends her love for people, culture and learning.

This passion for discovery is what fuels her work and helps her connect supporters with meaningful opportunities. “What I love most about my job is that I get to learn new things everyday, and I get to help people realize the things they are most passionate about,” she explains. Read on to discover her journey into fundraising and her unique perspective on building community.

Meet Andrea Kopylech.

Tell us about yourself, as well as the role and the work you are taking on.

I'm a storyteller and a champion of the underdog. I'm a fundraiser, writer, photographer, gardener, happy wife and proud mama of three amazing humans. I'm fascinated by people, places, cultures and the natural world. I love finding the extraordinary in every day.

What led you to pursue a career in this field? Was there a particular moment or influence that sparked your interest?

I’m excited to join the ALES development team as a development associate, which means I get to deep dive into all the fascinating people and work happening across the ALES departments and share their stories with donors, supporters and the broader community.

At the same time I’m privileged to learn about our alumni and the community around us and help them make an impact here — for our students, scholars and research — that will in turn help us make the world we live in better and brighter.

What do you find most rewarding about your work? What do you most look forward to?

One day a friend of mine made a comment about my ability to build relationships with all kinds of people in all kinds of situations and he suggested I get into fundraising. I liked the idea of helping organizations grow, bringing people together resulting in a positive impact on society.

I have been fundraising for 15 years now, having worked in both healthcare and higher education philanthropy.

For me, it’s about truly listening and learning about the people who want to make a bigger impact to society through their giving.

What I love most about my job is that I get to learn new things everyday, and I get to help people realize the things they are most passionate about.

What advice would you give to someone considering working in your field?

Being a fundraiser can be a tough job, but it’s really satisfying when you can connect the right people to the right projects and be a small part of making good things happen.

The best thing you can do to succeed in fundraising is to really listen and stay curious about everything.

What is one thing that people would be surprised to know about you?

I love traveling and seeing the world, but I don’t just want a ‘holiday’. I like to immerse myself in a place.

I was able to live and work in Thailand for a year — participating in weddings and funerals, spending time with people in cities and rural areas, seeing the tourism highlights as well as the real hardships of a place.

It was an incredible year of learning and exploring.