Traf Voices

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  Funding the Future, Honouring the Past: How the Advancement team brings a global community together to support the next generation of Traf girls.

  5/22/2026
  Amy Allison
  Version française ci-dessous
  

  At the heart of Trafalgar is a team of two who work behind the scenes, keeping the wider community engaged and connected. Their work materializes in a number of ways, including reunion planning, various fundraising campaigns, phone and in-person meetings, social media engagement, and volunteer coordination.
  
  

  For Kelly Carrier, Associate Director of Advancement, and Caroline Blakely, Constituent Relations Coordinator, community is at the heart of everything they do, and what keeps Trafalgar feeling like a close-knit family of supporters who believe in girls’ education. The larger school community is made up of a growing network of students, parents, alumni—affectionately called ‘Old Girls’, current and former staff, grandparents, Board members, friends, and neighbours. All of whom continually shape the school and its direction.
  
  

  “Anybody who attends events, volunteers their time, donates to fund bursaries, that’s the community,” explained Ms. Blakely. Ms.Carrier added that what those people share is a deep caring about the past, present, and future of the school and its mission.”
  
  

  Together, Ms. Blakely and Ms. Carrier help ensure that the connection to Trafalgar continues to evolve long after graduation.
  
  

  Their work is deeply relationship-driven. On any given day, Ms. Carrier may be planning and strategizing fundraising campaigns, speaking with ‘Old Girls’ about upcoming events or working with donors to secure crucial financial support for bursaries and school initiatives. Ms. Blakely’s days are equally busy: coordinating reunions, managing alumni communications, planning events such as Career Day and Homecoming, keeping the alumni database up-to-date, and connecting with former students around the globe.
  
  

  “Trafalgar alumni find ways to connect, whether they are in London, Tokyo, or here at home in Montreal.”
  
  

  That global nature of the 21st century has changed the way Ms. Carrier and Ms. Blakely approach their communication. Through platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram, the Advancement team follows the remarkable paths Trafalgar graduates take after leaving the school.
  
  

  “There’s this amazing network of alumni around the world,” said Ms. Blakely. “Trafalgar alumni find ways to connect, whether they are in London, Tokyo, or here at home in Montreal.”
  
  

  Often, those relationships lead to meaningful opportunities for current students. ‘Old Girls’ return to speak at Career Day and share insights from careers in medicine, law, the arts, business, and countless other fields.
  
  

  “Once they’re established in their career or at university, they can truly look back and see how Trafalgar was a positive influence on their lives,” said Ms. Carrier. “That inspires them to want to give back to the next generation.”
  
  

  “I constantly hear from alumni that Trafalgar was the catalyst that propelled them into the successful careers they have today. Whether it was the autonomy and study habits they learned, the ethical and critical thinking skills, a specific teacher who really pushed them, or maybe most importantly: the courage to pivot, take risks, and change course.”
  
  

  ‘Old Girls’ do not simply return out of obligation or nostalgia. They return because they feel they still have something valuable to contribute. “I constantly hear from alumni that Trafalgar was the catalyst that propelled them into the successful careers they have today. Whether it was the autonomy and study habits they learned, the ethical and critical thinking skills, a specific teacher who really pushed them, and maybe most importantly: the courage to pivot, take risks, and change course,” continued Ms. Blakely. 
  
  

  For Ms. Blakely, one of the most striking parts of her job is seeing how enduring the relationships among Traf Old Girls are.
  
  

  “A lot of people say you don’t stay friends with your high school friends,” she said. “But anytime I run into a Trafalgar alum, they always tell me they’re still close to their Traf friends.” Some alumni even travel internationally to reconnect with former classmates. One graduate of the class of 1975 recently flew from Japan to attend her 50th reunion. Another Old Girl of the class of 1983 recently celebrated her 60th birthday by asking her friends to donate to Trafalgar instead of presents. 
  
  

  “There are the intangible takeaways that every Trafalgar girl brings with them.”
  
  

  Both Ms. Blakely and Ms. Carrier acknowledge that not every graduate looks back on high school the same way. Experiences differ across generations, and the school itself has evolved significantly over time. Yet even graduates who describe complicated memories often still feel a desire to reconnect, support students, and contribute to the broader community.
  
  

  “There are the intangible takeaways that every Trafalgar girl brings with them,” explained Ms. Carrier. “The ethics, the boldness, the celebration of being a woman in this world and everything that means.”
  
  

  That sense of purpose is especially evident in the school’s commitment to financial accessibility. Ms. Carrier emphasized that fundraising is critical to the mission of the school, which is to have students from all socio-economic backgrounds benefit from an education at Trafalgar. 
  
  

  “The reality is that tuition fees are increasing everywhere,” she said. “The donations we receive from individuals help to fund significant bursary support for close to 40% of the student body. We’re really proud of that.” Those students then go on to have incredibly positive ripple effects in their communities, meaning each and every donation has a big impact.
  
  

  Ms. Blakely believes that diversity of experience and background is one of the school’s defining strengths. Through alumni engagement and parent involvement through the Parent Community Network (PCN), students are constantly surrounded by examples of people supporting one another. Most days, you’ll find an Old Girl or a parent making a visit to a classroom for everything from sharing family recipes in the Community Cooking class to guest-teaching an English workshop! “It all comes down to one thing, supporting girls’ education,” concluded Ms. Blakely.  
  
  

  Parents of alumni remain some of the school’s most loyal donors and volunteers, even long after their daughters have left Trafalgar. In fact, both the school’s Governing and Foundation boards have strong representation from parents of Old Girls, who are dedicated to working to sustain the school’s ongoing mission. Recently, one father whose daughter graduated in 1996 reached out after receiving an invitation to the ‘Spring Thing’ fundraising event.
  
  

  “He talked about how wonderful Trafalgar was for his daughter,” Ms. Carrier shared. “She is now a doctor in Toronto, and he credits Traf for putting her on that path. He and his wife received our invitation and felt compelled to visit and give back in some way.”
  
  

  Moments like that reflect the deeper goal of Advancement work: creating lasting relationships rooted not only in memory, but in shared investment in the future.
  
  

  Whether they are coordinating volunteers for a plethora of events throughout the year, reconnecting classmates and coordinating mentorship opportunities, or helping fund bursaries for current and future students, Ms. Carrier and Ms. Blakely are building something larger than events or campaigns and helping to sustain a community that continues to grow long after students leave the classroom.
  
  

  And for the students currently walking Trafalgar’s halls, that message is powerful: they are joining not just a school, but a lifelong network of women and families who continue to show up for one another, year after year.

  
  
  
  
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