A legacy of service and belonging
Some people find their sense of belonging at Wichita State University when they arrive on campus. For Cathy Durano ’85/90, that sense of belonging began long before she ever stepped into a classroom.
Her parents started taking her to Shocker basketball games when she was four years old. Those early trips sparked a lifelong connection to Wichita State that would eventually shape her education, career and decades of volunteer service.
“If I were to describe myself in one word, it would be loyal,” Durano says. “The things that have meant a lot to me and impacted me, I feel genuine loyalty toward. I want to make sure those things continue for the next generation.”
That loyalty is why Durano has spent nearly four decades investing her time, talents and energy into Wichita State students.
As a student, she found more than an education at Wichita State. Through her involvement in Delta Gamma, she discovered a community that helped her build confidence, develop leadership skills and form friendships that have lasted a lifetime. “Those relationships are still some of the most important in my life,” she says.
After earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1985 and her master’s degree in educational leadership in 1990, Durano built a career in education, teaching in Wichita and Andover public schools before joining Wichita State’s College of Education. She spent 10 years as a faculty member and later served as program chair of elementary education.
For years, Durano has served as a trusted mentor to student leaders across Wichita State’s fraternity and sorority community. Her volunteer work has touched generations of students through organizations including Delta Gamma, Delta Upsilon, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and the Multi-Cultural Greek Council.
“It’s all about the relationships,” she says. “If you can give students good advice and be there for them, that’s what matters. I’ve gotten as much out of these experiences as I’ve ever given.”
She believes those relationships play a vital role in helping students feel connected to Wichita State and to one another. “When students join an organization, Wichita State becomes more than just the place where they earn a degree,” she says. “They find a community. They find a family.”
Helping future generations of Shockers find that same sense of belonging has guided Durano’s decades of service to Wichita State, a commitment that earned her the university’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year Award.
“Wichita State has meant so much to me,” she says. “To be selected is quite an honor.”
Durano will be recognized for her outstanding service to the university with the 2026 Volunteer of the Year Award at the annual Heritage Gala on Friday, Oct. 2.
