Matthew Coultrip ’02

Brief bio: Coultrip is the director of store design for the Abercrombie & Fitch brand, which has a fleet of approximately 1,100 stores globally. He has worked for the company since graduating from Monmouth.

His gift: Coultrip makes a monthly donation to his alma mater. “When considering a larger gift, I think a lot of people think, ‘Oh, my gosh, what does that lump sum mean to me and my finances?,’” he said. “But if you regularly give something smaller every month, like $20, you don’t even realize it’s gone. I think it allows you to give more when you give a little at a time. ... I would really encourage alumni to give back to the school. Your gift absolutely does matter.”

Why he gives: “Monmouth played an integral part of making me who I am as an adult,” said Coultrip, who lives in Upper Arlington, Ohio. “We need to build a foundation for our children to have an even better experience than we did at Monmouth.”

What Monmouth means to him: “My degree in communication comes in quite usefully when I work with people like vendors and landlords for our new store spaces,” he said. “Even though I didn’t need the degree when I first started working in retail, it’s helped me in so many ways as my career has progressed.”