The Bonds of Babson: Siblings

Erin O'Donnell

April 8, 2026

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Spring 2026

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The

Bonds

BaBSon

Siblings:

Kaitlin Conroy Ervin ’00, Erin Conroy Nordstrom ’05, and Kelwin Conroy Newman MBA’06

For the Conroy sisters, Babson College is a family tradition. Middle sister Kaitlin Conroy Ervin ’00 was the first sibling to enter Babson, drawn by the rigorous business curriculum and the opportunity to play soccer, basketball, and softball for the College. Erin Conroy Nordstrom ’05, the youngest in the family, followed Kaitlin, entering as a first-year student the fall after her sister graduated.

Like Kaitlin, Erin was recruited to play basketball at the Division I level but found Babson appealing because its Division III status meant she could play multiple sports (field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse) while earning her business degree. Given the small, tightly knit community at Babson, Erin and Kaitlin had many teammates and friends in common.

Their big sister, Kelwin Conroy Newman MBA’06, attended a liberal arts college for her undergraduate degree but ultimately earned an MBA while attending Babson part time. “Because of Kaitlin’s and Erin’s experiences and because I was on campus dozens of times for games, it made a lot of sense to go to school there,” Kelwin says. “I had a good sense of the community and the strength of the alumni network.”

“The alumni network has been tremendous. Anytime you reach out to somebody, 99% of the time you’re going to get some sort of response. That’s worth every dollar paid toward tuition, having that network of people to reach out to.”
— Kelwin Conroy Newman MBA’06

Left to right: Kelwin Conroy Newman MBA’06, Erin Conroy Nordstrom ’05, and Kaitlin Conroy Ervin ’00

Left to right: Kelwin Conroy Newman MBA’06, Erin Conroy Nordstrom ’05, and Kaitlin Conroy Ervin ’00

The sisters have happy memories of gathering at Babson in those years with their parents, Tim and Judy, who regularly traveled from their home in Connecticut to root for Kaitlin and Erin at their games. Afterward, the family would share meals at local spots, including Dunn-Gaherin’s.

The sisters credit their father for originally learning about Babson and encouraging Kaitlin to apply. They joke that although their dad did not attend Babson, most people would assume that he is a proud alumnus, given his enthusiasm for the school.

The Babson network has had a lasting impact on the sisters’ lives and careers. Kaitlin, who has had a long career in investor relations and marketing for multiple hedge funds, met her husband, Michael Ervin ’00, on campus. Kelwin serves as an advisor and managing director for Pathstone, a wealth management firm, which hired her after Kaitlin sent her resume to Doug Huber ’09, who worked at the company. And, Erin works in sales for NetJets; she entered aviation in 2006, hired by Tim Marken ’81, then an executive for Marquis Jet Partners.

Erin, a volunteer hockey coach, has guided at least one high school student to Babson. The sisters say there’s a decent chance someone from the next generation of Conroys will attend Babson, too.

“It’s really the strength of the bonds there,” Kelwin adds. “The alumni network has been tremendous. Anytime you reach out to somebody, 99% of the time you’re going to get some sort of response. That’s worth every dollar paid toward tuition, having that network of people to reach out to.”

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Babson Alumni Are…

The Babson alumni network is the strongest in the nation because of the unique bonds that connect them. In the Spring issue of Babson Magazine, we highlight nine examples that illustrate the varied types of relationships. Click the photos below to read each one.