As a child, nobody ever says, "I want to be a grantwriter when I grow up!" and Deborah Koch was no exception. Yet she has raised millions of dollars for higher education and community nonprofits. Deborah came to this career through a series of unintended stepping stones beginning with a five year stint as the "Grants and Projects" staff person in a West Virginia congressman's office. Receiving an MPA from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Deborah advanced to foundation fundraising from a research and public policy background. In 2001 Deborah quit a perfectly good job and traveled solo for eight months throughout New Zealand, Australia, and Southeast Asia. She is currently Director of Grants at Springfield Technical Community College and lives in western Massachusetts with her husband Charlie in a little house with a big view.