Young Alumna of the Year Award
Kate Merrill Kros, Arts ’11
Alexandria, Va.
Although she lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area, where she has a busy career as a public affairs advisor for Milwaukee-based law firm Foley & Lardner, Kate Kros remains deeply embedded in the Marquette community.
When she first arrived in Washington, she leaned into the Marquette value of service, knowing that helping others would also aid her in learning the city and making new friends. “I started volunteering regularly with Catholic Charities and have since held many volunteer roles with the Archdiocese of Washington,” she says. Her efforts included running bingo night at a temporary home for recently incarcerated people and advocating for the funding of Catholic Charities to stakeholders across the city.
Her volunteer spirit applies to Marquette as well. Kate spent eight years heading Marquette’s Alumni Club of D.C., was an inaugural member of Marquette’s Young Alumni Leadership Council and, last year, accepted an invitation from Dean Heidi Bostic to serve on the Klingler College of Arts & Sciences Leadership Council.
Kate even met her husband, Grant, Arts ’15, at a 2017 National Marquette Day game-watching party, and in 2021 they married at Gesu, hosting their reception at Alumni Memorial Union. “It truly doesn’t get more Marquette than that,” Kate says.
She enjoys encountering fellow alumni in the D.C. area and notes that many people say they chose Marquette because the atmosphere on campus was so welcoming. “When you feel welcome, you feel at home,” she observes, “and I think that’s what Marquette is to so many alumni across the country.”
Fun Facts:
What is one of your favorite Marquette memories?
“I’d say the basketball games and the student section at the Bradley Center were among my top favorite memories, with ESPN College Gameday against Pittsburgh standing out in particular. My husband and I used our collection of Marquette basketball season shirts to make a large quilt. I highly recommend doing this if you too have a lot of blue and cheddar-colored T-shirts!”
Name someone (past or present) with whom you'd like to have dinner.
“My husband! With a baby, son Theodore (Teddy), at home and crazy jobs, we do not get out enough for a fun dinner.”
Leave a congratulatory message for Kate!