Telethon 2024: Meet the Callers!

Our 2024 Telethon is launching soon! On evenings and weekends between 24 September and 7 October, our students will be catching up with alumni all over the world, updating them on Catz news and fundraising for our campaign to reopen our original buildings and secure our place in Oxford as a unique institution: beautiful, unpretentious and outward-looking.

Here are a few of our callers on what they love about Catz and why they’re excited for the 2024 Telethon:

Tarif Ahmed (2023, PPE)

Why is fundraising important for Catz?

Fundraising is crucial for a college, especially for newer colleges such as St Catz, as without legacy donations from previous alumni, there arises discrepancies between the different colleges with some having more resources to assist their students than others. Fundraising can help eliminate the inequality between colleges and help the current and future students at St Catherine’s College to receive a better overall college and thus university experience through being able to utilise the many different opportunities available.

Three words to describe Catz:

Welcoming, Social, Friendly

Thomas Bygrave (2022, Law)

Why is engaging with alumni important?

Engaging with alumni is important for a variety of reasons. Not only is engagement with alumni in keeping with Catz’s spirit of being a warm, friendly and familial college, but established networks of communication also allow for current students to receive insights into areas that they are interested in and opportunities which they may wish to pursue. Equally, regular communication allows for alumni to hear about how the college has changed and developed since they left.

Three words to describe Catz:

Community, Open, Friendly

Alfie Mitchell (2023, Modern Languages)

What are your personal interests?

Music plays a huge role in my life, and Catz has provided me with so many great opportunities to jam and gig with my college friends. During vacations, I attend almost every concert that catches my eye (much to the woe of my bank account) and travel as much as I can. Given that I am always nattering away in Spanish, I love going to Spain – it’s nice to actually be understood for a change. I am also a massive champion of sociolinguistic equality and an objector to prescriptivist “rules”, as indicated by my use of a split infinitive in the previous sentence.

Three words to describe Catz:

Friendly, fun, different

Emma Savidge (2023, Modern Languages)

Why is engaging with alumni important?

I believe that alumni engagement is really valuable to both the current and past members of college as it allows the alumni network to thrive and stay close to St Catherine’s, inspiring current students.

Three words to describe Catz:

Close, vibrant community.

Joshua Timmins (2023, Modern Languages & Linguistics)

What are your personal interests?

My interests mainly revolve around drama and music! I have taken part in musicals and plays throughout my childhood, and at Oxford have greatly enjoyed getting involved with the student productions here. On the music side of things, I love playing piano, sax and clarinet, getting involved in a few bands and orchestras here at Oxford. Next year at Catz, I am heading up the Music Society – so hopefully big things are in store!!

Three words to describe Catz:

Welcoming, Friendly, Quirky

Malachy Walker (2021, Geography)

Why is engaging with alumni important?

Engaging with alumni is a brilliant way for both the current student body to look forward at the many trajectories former members of the Catz community have taken to draw inspiration from for their futures, as well as allowing alumni to look back upon their memories of life at Catz and see how the college and its community has evolved.

Three words to describe Catz:

Vibrant, caring, green