Kate Nicholson ’08 Reflects on CDH’s Impact on her Values-Led Career
Greta Cunningham
September 25, 2024
For Kate Nicholson ’08, her time at Cretin-Derham Hall helped her discern the direction of her career and empowered her with the skills to pursue it.
“The Catholic Social Teaching that we learned at CDH really impacted me,” said Nicholson. “I worked in nonprofit and higher education for the first ten years of my career, and I chose a Jesuit college to attend to continue in that Catholic tradition. I think I really learned how to be what the Jesuits call ‘men and women for others’ at CDH, and I carry that with me to this day.”
After CDH, Nicholson attended Marquette University where she majored in English and Spanish Language and Literature, having been particularly impacted by her English classes in high school.
“I had Susan Vaughan-Fier for 10th grade English,” Nicholson said. “We read a lot of important classic literature, and she did a really good job of applying it to our modern-day lives, which I think is one of the objectives of literature. I learned a lot from her because she cared so much about her students.”
Nicholson later received her MBA from Fordham University, where she worked as a fundraiser for Fordham Law School. Currently, she is an Account Executive at Zendesk, which helps New York City-based companies enhance their customer support tools.
“I think there has been a through line in my career around building relationships while solving problems,” Nicholson said. “I've done everything from tenant organizing to non-profit micro-lending to eliminating funding gaps in higher ed. Now, I work in sales and help small businesses solve problems with technology.”
Beyond providing the academic foundation for her future education and career, CDH also helped prepare Nicholson outside the classroom.
“I was, as many CDH students are, really involved during high school, and it taught me how to manage my time,” she said. “It’s helped me throughout my career and adult life to navigate a variety of activities and dynamics.”
While in high school, Nicholson participated in theater and tennis. She was first exposed to CDH activities by supporting her older cousins growing up.
“I followed my mom Brenna Ryan Nicholson ’76 and my cousins Megan Ehrmanntraut Moffatt '96, Dan Ehrmanntraut '99, and John Ehrmanntraut '01 to CDH. I got to go at the same time as my cousin Charlie Ehrmanntraut ’08,” she said. “Going to Megan’s softball games and Dan’s plays were my first introduction to CDH as a kid, which left a memorable impression.”
At CDH, we take pride in our high level of participation in cocurricular activities and the positive impact they have on our students' educational experience. Sports participation is twice the Minnesota state average (with Minnesota ranking an impressive 5th nationally!). Our students enjoy outstanding opportunities, and our facilities are well-utilized. To maintain our competitive edge among peer schools, it is essential that we continue investing in and enhancing these resources.
Having seen the impact of Catholic education on her family, Nicholson hopes to help make it available for others by donating to CDH, which supports tuition assistance.
“It can be hard to feel financially established as a young adult in order to make an impact, but with the annual fund, every donation adds up to part of a larger transformation for the school,” she said. “CDH is really where I learned how to think about others. I hope that my contribution to the collective impact of the annual fund affords more students and families the opportunity to attend CDH, which is such a great institution that has had a lifelong impact on me.”