CAm’s Alex Rautzhan: From Lewisburg to London—and Everywhere in Between
Six cities, two countries, four weeks. For Cambridge in America Development Officer Alex Rautzhan, it’s a typical summer on the road. After just three days back at the CAm office in Midtown Manhattan, she was already preparing for her next trip. A self-described travel aficionado, for Rautzhan, it’s a welcome part of the job.
“I have a deep and abiding love of global exploration, and a keen interest in different cultures. I strive to understand how people exist in the world and I am always looking for somewhere new and different to explore,” said Rautzhan, who, even during her time off, travels the world with her twin sister Morgan.
It’s a passion that serves her well in her work with North American Cambridge alumni. Rautzhan meets with Cantabrigians from New England and all of Canada, but her job and her vacations often take her to all corners of the globe.
She reflected on how she came to higher education advancement and what it takes to keep the miles, meetings, and events aligned in service of a larger goal, helping Cambridge alumni stay connected to one another and to the University they once called home.
Beginning at the beginning, you grew up in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, home to Bucknell University. What was that like?
It was lovely. It’s a little Victorian river town right on the Susquehanna. I actually wrote my graduate thesis about the American college town, and what that means to a specific slice of US history. I suppose you could say from a very early age, higher education has played a pivotal role in my life.
Alex (in front) with her twin sister Morgan
Why do you have such an affinity for travel and higher education?
When I was a child, I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do when I grew up, but I knew that I loved to travel, I loved to read, and I wanted to find a way to marry those two things. Being engaged in the world was always a huge piece of the puzzle for me. Academics fascinated me. Growing up in a small town has a lot of advantages, but it also feels very insular at times. I was quite lucky because my mom is a writer, and one of the things that she wrote about when we were little was her travels with her kids. As such, we traveled often and she instilled in me the need to see the world, which has brought me to many different places. Working at Cambridge in America has allowed me to professionalize my respect for academia and my love for travel.
Alex (right) with her twin sister Morgan
What led you to Cambridge in America?
I started working in university advancement for my alma mater, the University of Southern California. I thought it was such an outstanding way to reflect my deep respect for the institution that gave me the tools to succeed. I wanted to be sure that the generations who came after me would be able to have the same outstanding experience that I had. Why Cambridge? I had a godmother who was from the United Kingdom. She was a barrister in London. So, the academic institutions in the UK, their storied history, the way that they have had ripple impacts on the globe for centuries have always loomed large in my orbit. I also spent time studying in the UK which served to further solidify my respect for the academic system. When I heard there was an opportunity at CAm, I was immediately interested. I thought it would be a wonderful way to leverage the skill set that I had developed at USC with my admiration for Cambridge and all that it has brought and continues to bring to the world. So that's how I find myself here, and it's been as delightful as I thought it would be.
In your role at CAm you spend a lot of time in New England and Canada. What is that like for you?
When I began at CAm our presence in New England was already well established. It is the home of one of the original alumni advisory committees. It has been an absolute pleasure working with such established and engaged members of the community. Canada offered a lot of opportunity in cementing CAm's presence in Toronto for expanding our reach into Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. Each part of the country is culturally unique and therefore connects to the institution differently. It’s exciting to represent Collegiate Cambridge in those spaces and work to create new and intentional engagement opportunities.
What does it take to be so nimble when it comes to global travel?
Practice. It’s not always easy, but it’s a muscle you develop over time.
What are some of your favorite places?
Well, that’s a tough one to answer. I’ve lived in seven countries and traveled to more than 20 countries. I absolutely adore France and find myself going back time and again. I would very happily set up residence there. Spain is another one. Barcelona feels very much like home when I'm there. You visit a place enough times and you find your favorite haunts that you revisit. I find that very comforting.
Is there one place on Earth that you’ve not been to that is on your bucket list?
Someday there will be space travel, and I will sign up. I don’t know what’s out there, but I intend to find out!