Alumni Author Returns Home
It was a true homecoming for award-winning author Kat Albers Kronenberg ’85, who returned to her alma mater on Friday, October 17, to speak with sixth graders and share her books. Known for her bestselling series, which includes Dream Big, Love Big, and Think Big, Kronenberg introduced students to her newest book, Live Big, a heartwarming story about overcoming fear and discovering courage through love’s spark. She also shared memories from her own FWCD days and her lifelong friendship with Anne-Lise Knecht Woods ’85, which began when the two met at FWCD in kindergarten.
Kronenberg’s story, however, began long before she even started writing. She told students about a heartbreaking time in her life when her brother passed away as a result of an arrhythmia when he was a senior in high school. She felt like she had a hole in her heart. Kronenberg navigated the darkness for years, trying to figure out how to understand her heart, love, and believe in anything again. In her quest for meaning, she discovered the power of a smile and that love’s wondrous power, CATCH-M, can fill her heart no matter what is happening. CATCH-M has been so miraculous for Kronenberg that she created The Live Big Series.
Live Big centers on a little star named CATCH-M who learns how to shine through fear and discovers love’s power. “The character of CATCH-M started waking me up at 4 a.m., wanting a story of its own,” Kat shared. “That’s how I knew it was time for Live Big.”
But her path to publication was far from easy. “At the age of 40, I was at a symphony taking in the music when something just hit me,” she said. “I was compelled to write a book about the power of a smile – and that’s how the series began.
“I knew nothing about writing a book. If you want to write, you read,” she continued. “My books were rejected over and over again, but I kept trying. It reminded me of when my brothers told me I couldn’t play basketball with them because I was too little. So I practiced, practiced, and practiced some more. And in high school, I became the hero of my own story when our girls basketball team won the state championship.”
Kronenberg encouraged students to see rejection and struggle as stepping stones rather than setbacks. “Who else was rejected when they were starting out?” she asked the audience. “The founders of Starbucks were told no over 100 times. People said, ‘Who would pay $5 for a cup of coffee?’ Walt Disney went bankrupt before creating his magical world.”
Her inspiration to use animals as her main characters came from her travels in Africa. “Nature has always been my teacher,” she said. “If a caterpillar can dare the crazy dream to fly, I can write a book. If a rhino can grow a horn to remember to be kind, I can find new ways to live big each day.”
In Live Big, CATCH-M’s journey becomes an origin story for the series, a reminder that even in fear or loneliness, love’s spark is always within reach. “I think these stories found me because they were the books I needed as a girl,” she shared. “When my brother died, I didn’t have the emotional tools to handle it. I describe it as being stuck in a dark room. Over time, I learned that a smile – a simple ‘yes’ – was the bridge from that darkness to the light.”
Dream Big. Love Big. Think Big. Live Big,” Kronenberg continued. “Every day, you have the power to be extraordinary. You just have to catch your spark – and let it shine.”
