Vidya Kagan, Director of Development Services at Menlo School, reflects on how CASE has supported her through many pivots and transitions during her 20+ year career in advancement. In Vidya’s CASE’s 50th Anniversary Share Your Story submission, she also highlights the value of networking and the importance of giving back.
How I got into advancement
Prior to working in advancement, I worked in the hotel business, when a dear college friend approached me about joining the development team at Harvard Law School (HLS) as the office was growing in the run-up to a capital campaign. The timing was perfect – in the aftermath of 9/11, I wanted to pursue work where I could make a difference in other people’s lives. Education seemed like the natural place to land, and given my customer service skills and hospitality bent, I thought “Hey, maybe I can do this development thing.”
CASE has always been there for me
Since my first role at HLS in 2002, CASE has been instrumental in my advancement career. I’ll always be grateful to my first boss at HLS who registered me to attend the CASE Summer Institute at Dartmouth College. What an amazing learning experience! This conference opened my eyes to the world of advancement in higher education and independent schools and introduced me to many smart, experienced, and dedicated professionals. I was immediately hooked!
Over the years and through many transitions, I’ve been a part of CASE conferences as a participant, presenter, and planning committee member. I have also taken advantage of the many resources that CASE offers, such as the resources library and publications. I am grateful for the many friendships that I’ve made through CASE and my increased knowledge over the years, thanks to their relevant, robust, and timely professional development offerings.
Transitions
Transitions have been a big part of my working life. After working at HLS for 6 years, I was ready for a change and took a job at Noble & Greenough School in Dedham, MA, as the Director of the Annual Fund. What a shock! The first thing that I noticed was the small, close-knit community at Nobles compared to the gargantuan Harvard network, and how I’d be spending most of my time with parents instead of alumni. CASE’s conferences and network helped me to understand the independent school world and made me an effective fundraiser.
In 2013, I was itching for another change in my life, so I became the Director of Development job at Menlo School in Atherton, CA. Attending the CASE-NAIS conference in early 2014 provided me the opportunity to network and learn on a different level, now that I was a director of a department, and to bond with my development and communications colleagues who attended with me.
Unexpected career pivot
Our department was reorganized in late 2015 and I was moved into a new role - data management and prospect research - which was a high priority for the School since we were in the early phases of a capital campaign. This new role gave me the opportunity to dive into the world of data, research, and technology, and network with prospect researchers in the area. I started to contribute to our development efforts in a new, focused, systematic way that had not been done at Menlo in the past. I was a trailblazer!
CASE helped me learn the lingo and showed me what advancement services and prospect research were all about. To get me started in this work, I attended the CASE Annual Conference for Development Researchers in 2016 and the CASE DRIVE conference in 2019 where I met like-minded people and learned the value of advancement services. The speakers at these conferences energized me and gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed to be successful in my new role.
The value of networking
Networking is one of my favorite things to do, and I love sharing my enthusiasm for networking with others. In fact, when I was in graduate school at the Cornell Hotel School, I hosted a “Networking 101” event for my classmates with a prominent author and professional networker!
I wholeheartedly believe in the power of networking and spend a great deal of time and energy to build and cultivate relationships in my network. Networking is important to me because I get energy and learn so much from others in our field. It helps me build friendships, give back, and stay connected. CASE has been a go-to for networking in the advancement space. I am always impressed by the dedicated and experienced professionals in CASE, and I always know I can turn to them for advice and friendship. I recently served on the planning committee for the 2024 CASE DVII and VIII conference, which was an amazing experience. Now, I have a new group of friends in my network.
Giving back
I have always prioritized community service and endeavor to volunteer in local and national professional organizations. CASE is one of my highest priorities when it comes to my work in advancement because I believe that CASE is the preeminent organization for advancement professionals. CASE is dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for us, and they do it all with incredible people and programs. I have served on CASE conference planning committees, presented at various CASE conferences, and created a CASE short course webinar on data hygiene. Contributing in this way helps me stay connected with CASE and the fabulous professionals in our field.
Advice
“When one door closes, another door opens.” Throughout the last 20+ years, many development “doors” have opened for me, and stepping through those doors enabled me to add to my skill set, form new relationships, and make an impact on students, faculty, coaches, and staff at various educational institutions.
I am grateful that CASE’s educational offerings and vibrant network have always been there for me to help me with my transitions and make me feel confident in any advancement role that I’ve pursued. I know that I can do this, and I know that CASE is with me all the way.
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