Alumnus Inspired to Provide Future Students With Transformative Pitzer Experience

Zander Sprague ’91 started off as a psychology major but had a big dream to travel and study abroad in Australia. Thanks to some ingenuity, creativity and a decision to add history as an additional major, he was able to turn his wish into a reality. He studied abroad in Australia during the second semester of his junior year. He speaks fondly of this experience and labels it as a formative moment in his life. He says it was a great learning opportunity, and he returned with a greater appreciation for Pitzer College, its students and the community.

Growing up in New England, Zander knew he wanted to leave his hometown, and he sought a place with sunshine. A friend told him about Pitzer College, and he toured and visited various colleges throughout Southern California. He was most taken with Pitzer’s interview process. “They wanted to know me as a person, not as a score or a statistic,” he recalls. Something else that attracted him to Pitzer was that he knew he would be known by his name, as a person, and not simply as a student identification number.

An intellectually inquisitive individual, Zander always made sure to participate in college and student discussions, and he was frequently the one making sure all sides of an issue were represented, not just the “easier” sides of an argument.

Now an award-winning public speaker, two-time best-selling author and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), Zander speaks proudly and fondly of Pitzer College, stating that they were the best four years of his life. He values “the academic freedom, being able to explore who you are and what you’re interested in,” he says, adding, “it’s something that no other place offers.”

He attributes his success to his Pitzer College experiences and explains that, with his time here having given him so much, he can’t imagine students not being able to also enjoy the Pitzer experience. That is one of the main reasons for him wanting to give back to Pitzer College. “If we look at Pitzer’s motto, Provida Futuri,” he says, “shouldn’t we all be living that and helping to provide for the future?”

Like Zander, you too can ensure that Pitzer and our students thrive for many years to come with a gift in your estate. Contact Lily Shin at 909.621.8432 and plannedgiving@pitzer.edu to learn what option best fits your situation.