Giving Creatively: Katie Riker Sternberg ’90
How do you think creatively to support the communities and causes you care most about?
For Katie Riker Sternberg ’90, an executive leadership coach and loyal Skidmore Fund donor for many years, creative thought has meant thinking about how she can continue to make a lasting impact on student learning experiences at Skidmore while also supporting individuals with autism — a cause that transformed her family’s life.
Sternberg and husband Erich, an insurance executive, grew up actively participating in the religious and educational communities their families were part of. Contributing time, talent, and treasure is a commitment that remains important to their family; today, much of their focus is on making a meaningful difference in the autistic community.
In 2001, their then 3-year-old son, Jake, was diagnosed with autism; their daughter, Hallie, was a newborn. At the time of Jake’s diagnosis, the family was living in Louisiana, where few support services were available. In true Skidmore fashion, Sternberg took action, learning about different treatment options and therapy services so she and Erich could begin building a support network of their own. As Jake grew older and the Sternbergs discovered what it took to help him succeed, one thing became clear: Talented, passionate, and qualified support and medical professionals are essential. Today, the Sternbergs’ relationship with Skidmore draws on the family’s deep commitment to supporting the autistic community.
In 2021, the Sternbergs created the Katherine Riker Sternberg ’90 and Erich Sternberg Fund for Clinical Field Experience and Community Engagement at Skidmore. The fund supports experiential learning opportunities for psychology students who want to work directly within the autistic and developmentally disabled communities. Students can apply for funds to assist them in a range of areas, including clinical field placement and community engagement opportunities, transportation, academic support materials, summer housing, and internship stipends.
The work of Senior Teaching Professor of Psychology Rachel Mann-Rosan '94 with the autistic and developmentally disabled communities inspired the family’s gift.
The generosity of the Sternbergs has been a game-changer for providing greater opportunities for students interested in gaining practical clinical experience who might not have been able to participate in the past.”Rachel Mann-Rosan ’94Senior Teaching Professor of Psychology
In its first two years, the Sternberg Fund has helped 14 students gain clinical field experiences through the Psychology Department. Those opportunities range from supporting individuals and their families in their home to working with a group of individuals at a summer camp specifically dedicated to assisting children on the autism spectrum.
“Having a chance to work with the kids at Camp Reece was more than rewarding; it really made me feel like I was making an impact on the lives of the children who were there,” Justin Zitelli ’23 says of his clinical field experience. “My experience allowed me to further my knowledge within the domain of clinical psychology and confirmed my desire to work with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder), and anxiety.”
Experiences like that of Zitelli are what Sternberg was hoping for.
At Skidmore, I recognized my intellectual power. It has been important to me to give back — to provide current and future Skidmore students with the intellectual and creative building blocks the College provided to me.”Katie Sternberg '90
“The Sternberg Fund represents the strategic intent that my husband, Erich, and I established, to focus our philanthropy on building capacity for autism services," said Sternberg, who graduated as an English major and history minor. "Through creative thought and partnership, we were able to tie our support with Skidmore with the idea of wanting to build capacity at a liberal arts institution — not with graduate students, not with data or research — but rather by building career-defining experiences for students who want to make a difference in a community that’s so important to our family.
With the support and dedication of individuals built around Jake, he now lives in a private home with two housemates near Katie and Erich in Chicago. He finds fulfillment in his work at a local animal shelter, volunteers to read to children and adults with disabilities, and is also working toward an associate degree.
The Sternbergs’ hope is that the fund they created will allow Skidmore students to engage in transformative experiences that will leave a lasting impact on individuals like Jake for years to come.
