Can you provide us with some information about your background? Your education and career?
I grew up in a modest family on the south side of Chicago and my father never finished high school. But, my father was a huge advocate for me and my siblings going to college, if that’s what we wanted. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to attend and graduate from Illinois. Among the valuable lessons Illinois taught me was the power of critical thinking and appropriate questions including the ability to appropriately challenge those around me. I learned to consider information in a critical way and how to go about finding answers to questions or challenges. This really served me well in my career after graduation. I worked at EY as an auditor and ultimately as its Global Vice Chair and most senior accounting and auditing professional globally. This role afforded me the opportunity to travel all over the world (over 40 countries). My education at Illinois was also outside of the classroom and prepared me to work with people from all different backgrounds which came in handy in my global role at EY.
Can you tell us more about how you have stayed connected to the University of Illinois since your time as a student?
I’ve been part of the University of Illinois Foundation Board of Directors since 2014. To be honest, I didn’t stay connected to the University of Illinois immediately after graduation because I dove into my career. It was a real pleasure to reconnect with Illinois through the Foundation Board when the time came. Over the years since graduating, I never lost passion for Illinois and what Illinois did for me.
Giving to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is clearly important to you. Can you explain what compelled you to give and keep giving? What do you hope your philanthropy accomplishes for the university?
The only way I was able to attend Illinois was because of scholarships. I had scholarships that covered my housing and tuition, and without these I wouldn’t have been able to attend college at all. My husband, Roman, and I established the Karen M. Golz and Dr. Roman M. Lubynsky, Phd. Fund for the Gies College of Business. The Fund is for unrestricted support for the Gies College of Business with a preference for scholarships for deserving students who otherwise might be unable to attend Illinois. The fund is named in honor and memory of our parents because they supported each of our educations and we hope to help future generations, as we were helped by generous donors. Illinois was a key ingredient to the success of my career, and I know it could be for others too, if given the chance.
What advice can you share about how to make a lasting impact at the University of Illinois?
Stay connected. Even if you can’t give financially, give time. You can volunteer to be a resource for Illinois, share career perspectives with students, speak to students in a classroom. The most important thing is to help build confidence in students and young adults that they can do it—graduate and make an impact in the world.
What is your favorite University of Illinois memory?
I have many good memories, so it is hard to choose just one, but the day my parents dropped me off in 1972 is burned in my mind. I had overcome many obstacles to get to that day. I lived in what was then called the Men’s Residence Halls (MRH) my freshman year and it was the first year they became co-ed. My mom was already nervous about me moving away to college and this didn’t help. After a little while, my dad decided it was time to leave and had to quickly usher my mom out of my dorm while calling back, “Bye, Karen. Call us in a couple days.”
I also worked in the Residence Hall library for four years while attending Illinois. It was a great job, and I learned a lot, including the Dewey Decimal System. When my younger brother started at Illinois, I told him to immediately go and tell Ms. Susan Ariew, the Residence Hall Librarian that he would like to work there, if there were openings. She was quick to hire another Golz and my brother worked there for a few years as well.