Why I give

Greg Koehlert '96 and spouse, Merrie Koehlert.

By Greg Kohlert ’96

I applied to College of the Atlantic as a transfer student after an experience at a big university failed to engage me and I found myself struggling in school. At that point in my life I needed someone to give me a chance, and COA took an interest in me and gave me that chance. Once I was on campus, I found an intellectual and academic culture that was tremendously inspiring. The work was hard and it gave me a deep sense of satisfaction. I found great joy in both the work and in my friendships. It was a wonderful time to learn and grow, and I can never thank COA enough for that. 

My career has been in education, first as a teacher and most recently as a headmaster, always serving kids with learning differences. Our culture at the school, our attitude toward teaching, is that we don’t give up on kids. While I can’t draw an absolute line from my time at COA to this culture of work, I can’t ignore the similarity either. I have always appreciated the opportunities COA gave me, and I believed it was my job to do the same as a teacher and school head. COA was also the first place in my young life where the arts and sciences were studied together. Their interconnectedness impressed me, and that helped me further my skills in each. In my work in education, we fuse the clinical and diagnostic science of understanding cognition and learning with the art of great teaching. The roots of that work run directly back to what I learned at COA. 

I am a member of the Black Fly Society because I feel indebted to COA. COA is a special place, and it is important that COA remains an option for students. I am also a member because alumnx support makes a positive impression on outside donors and prospective students, and regular donation allows the administration greater freedom in planning. I encourage every frequent donor who continues to care about the COA mission to join the Black Fly Society.  

To learn more about the Black Fly Society or become a member, please visit coa.edu/blackflysociety