Donor Spotlight: Liz DiLullo Brown ’97

Liz DiLullo Brown ’97 considers her time at Kutztown University some of the most important years of her life. She focused on her education, with the goal of working in marketing upon graduation, and she had the opportunity to play field hockey, the sport she loved. 

But what Brown loved most was the community she built, especially amongst her fellow student-athletes.

“Being a student-athlete is more than your athletic performance; it is the commitment to do your best as a student and an athlete,” said Brown. “Walking out of Kutztown with a degree is the most important thing. That was reinforced throughout my time in the field hockey team. I believe there is sometimes tremendous pressure in being a student-athlete, but it is also a great precursor for life.

“There are many times that I credit being a student-athlete as my greatest teacher. I credit my time as a collegiate athlete with teaching me time management, teamwork, friendship, respect, discipline, and grit.”

Fast forward to 2022, and Brown is pursuing her career goals as Chief Marketing Officer of Little League International.

As excitement built for Kutztown University’s fourth annual 1866 Minute Giving Challenge, Brown felt inspired to give generously to support today’s field hockey team.

“As I’ve spent years in the business of sports, the landscape of female sports continues to be an evolution,” she said. “I believe that being a student-athlete prepared me for so many life and career lessons. It taught me to accept failure, pursue my goals, not give up and keep focused on what’s important to me. It also taught me to have passion and purpose in my career and life. I give back because while times have changed, some things haven’t changed enough. Female athletics still needs more support.

“We live in a world where charity is so important. That can come in many forms, including giving of your time and resources. I would encourage alumni to look at Kutztown’s impact on their life, and what resources the university or its programs need in order to create great experiences moving forward. My goal is not for student-athletes to have the same experience. I want them to have a better experience than I had (and I think mine was pretty great).”