Member Spotlight: Cristy Gimbel Garratt ’10
Posted on January 09, 2019
Cristy Gimbel Garratt ’10 is nothing if not consistent. When she was eight years old, Garratt says her grandfather told her she could pursue all of her interests if she grew up to become a journalist. From that moment on, Garratt set her sights on journalism school and never wavered.
When her elementary school yearbook folded, Garratt, a Texas native, produced her own. In high school, her passion for reporting helped her earn a scholarship to attend the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute (MNJI), a five-week summer session known as the cherub program.
After taking classes at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Garratt says she knew she wanted to return as an undergraduate. She applied early decision to Northwestern and was admitted to the Class of 2010.
During college, Garratt’s consistency paid off. She joined the Northwestern News Network (NNN) fall quarter of her freshman year and rose through the ranks to become one of the network’s first Latinx news directors. Her early interest in international travel also led to life-changing experiences abroad—from a Medill Journalism Residency in South Africa to a quarter studying Spanish in Madrid.
Without financial assistance, Garratt says many of these opportunities would not have been available to her, which is why her philanthropic support of the University began even before graduation. Garratt’s first gift of $20.10, part of the Class of 2010’s senior class gift, gained her admittance to an exclusive campus event. “It was an opportunity to meet President [Morton] Schapiro—he was very new at the time,” she says.
Garratt is now a gold-level member of NU Loyal who has given every year since graduation. As a rookie television reporter in Toledo, Ohio, Garratt had a phone conversation with a student that inspired her to renew her support. Since then, Garratt says giving annually has become a habit.
“What I tend to do is give during #CATSGiveBack on Giving Tuesday—that’s the day I’ve set for when I donate [to Northwestern] every year,” she says. “I’m a huge fan of loyalty programs, I’ll admit. It’s a cool club that you’re in, and it recognizes gifts of any amount. I know those contributions are going toward students like me who desperately need grants and scholarships to be able to attend Northwestern.”
After spending two years in Toledo, Garratt followed her heart to London to be closer to her now husband and pursue a passion for international reporting. She is currently head of digital video and social media for CNBC International. “I am the daughter of an immigrant, and I now have an opportunity to run an international team for a renowned news organization,” she says. “I never in a hundred million years would have guessed that. Getting into Northwestern and the opportunities it made possible helped open many doors.”
This Texan is also the current president of the NU Club of the United Kingdom, which was named International Club of the Year by the Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) in 2018. Garratt and her fellow alumni gained worldwide recognition in May 2018 when they put their Purple Pride on display outside Windsor Castle to celebrate the wedding of alumna Meghan Markle ’03 and Prince Harry. “It was such an amazing experience,” she says. “I got to meet alumni I didn’t know were living in the UK.”
Garratt’s consistency carries over into her club volunteer role. Along with her board, Garratt helps plan alumni meet-ups throughout the year—like Wildcats football watch parties and Thanksgiving meals—as well as diversified programming like a documentary screening and discussion with Brent Huffman, an associate professor at Medill.
Whether she’s attending the NAA’s Leadership Symposium, shooting a CNBC travel series in India, or organizing a theater outing for alumni, Garratt is committed to success.