Tim '09 and Anna Marks Crouch '09
Donor Q&A
Tell us about your Dickinson experience.
Anna: My Dickinson experience started more than 30 years ago when my parents brought me to campus as a baby for alumni weekend! I applied to many colleges, but deep down I think I knew I would end up at Dickinson. Tim and I met during ResLife training in January of our junior year.
We were both involved in a lot on campus, so finding time to spend with one another proved harder than we anticipated. When Tim told me in the spring of senior year that it had been a fun year together, I quickly dismissed the idea that we might end our relationship just because we were graduating. We were engaged five months later and married a year after that! We’ll celebrate 12 years of marriage this September. We have Dickinson to thank for bringing us together and enriching our lives in so many ways.
How has Dickinson’s useful liberal-arts education helped you?
Our experiences at Dickinson directly shaped and impacted our lives. Every organization we were individually involved in, from volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters to being a Liberty Cap tour guide, has influenced our professional careers in education. For each of us, our useful educations occurred outside of the classroom just as much as inside. We spent meaningful hours in the club offices in the lower level of the HUB, the Waidner Admissions House, the Kline, the Children’s Center and elsewhere.
What inspired your gift to Dickinson?
Anna: I was the co-chair of the Senior Class Gift Drive and we were asking classmates to give $20.09. I think I managed to get Tim to give $10! We have supported the school ever since; giving has never been a question. Being able to slowly increase our gift sizes as we advance in our careers has been exciting. We know our donations will help students, just as previous donations helped us participate in programs, organizations, and school events.
Tim: When I started working in fundraising at an independent school, we both became acutely aware of how necessary it is for institutions like Dickinson to receive annual financial support from donors. We know that our gift always supports students in one way or another!
What do you hope your gift will do for fellow Dickinsonians?
We want fellow Dickinsonians to have the same opportunities and experiences we were afforded while on campus. We hope our gift will support the programs students love, programs that enrich their lives. We also hope that they will one day give back to the college so that future Dickinsonians can continue experiencing traditions and new opportunities.
Why do you feel that it is important to give back to Dickinson?
For so many reasons. The college relies on the support of its alumni and friends in order to operate at the level we, as alumni, expect and hope it does. We are proud Dickinsonians, so of course we want to continue seeing Dickinson and current students have all the success in the world.
What is your favorite memory from your time at Dickinson?
Too many to choose from! For us as a couple, our favorite time was spring of senior year, when we lounged on Morgan Field, strolled through campus, met up for study breaks on Britton Plaza, danced at the Depot and dined at the Caf.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Riding bikes around our neighborhood with our boys (a 9-month-old and a 2-1/2-year-old), finding a cool playground and meeting new people, since we just moved to Dallas after living in Pennsylvania for the last 11 years. We hope to get back to coaching basketball (Tim) and teaching/practicing yoga (Anna) soon!
What advice would you give today’s students?
Do what you love while at Dickinson because it will positively impact your life in ways you can’t imagine right now. Hang out with people you like and respect, connect with adults around campus, say “yes” to another snack break, study abroad and do it all (even though you likely already are, so just try to savor it)!
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Published June 27, 2022