Attend any Yale men’s lacrosse game, and you’re bound to spot David Schamis ’95 on the sidelines, camera in hand, snapping photos of the action on the field. You are also likely to see him at Yale football games, basketball games, hockey games, and even the occasional gymnastics meet. “At first, it was a fun hobby, but I wouldn’t call it a hobby now; it’s an obsession,” says David.

He shares his game-day photos with the Yale Athletics Department, the Yale Daily News, and with players and their parents through his website, SchamisShots.com. “On Monday mornings, it’s wonderful to see the flood of messages that come through about the photos from the weekend,” says Becky Vitas Schamis ’00 MBA. “Many parents aren’t able to make it to every game. They’re so grateful to be able to see the moments David captured.”

The photos are just one of the ways David and Becky have given back to the university since graduating—David from Yale College and Becky from the School of Management. “Going to Yale was my highest aspiration when I was a kid,” David says. “I was unbelievably excited to be accepted here. The idea of not staying connected after leaving campus never even occurred to me.” Becky, who attended SOM after she and David met in New York City, looks back on her student years with the same sentiment. “They were two of the best years of my life. SOM was only twenty-five years old at the time and was at a great point in its young history. Jeffrey Garten was dean, and the school was experiencing a strong momentum. I adored the tight-knit community, running into friends in the Hall of Mirrors, and how accessible the professors were,” she says.

Both Becky and David say they find it particularly meaningful to help Yale with executing fundraising strategies. Among their many volunteer roles, David has served five times as co-chair of his class’s reunion gift committee, including for his upcoming 30th reunion. Becky serves on SOM’s Board of Advisors and has chaired the SOM Alumni Fund since 2016. She is also co-chair of the school’s ongoing capital campaign, Driving Purpose. The couple are active members of the Parents Leadership Council, and, in 2021, they joined the For Humanity Campaign Committee. Recently, they began co-chairing the campaign’s New York Metro Regional Advisory Group.

“Yale doesn’t operate only in New Haven. It must be supported by the larger alumni network. That is what makes a school strong,” Becky says. “So often as a student I would hear about the Class of 1986 or the Class of 1978, for example, as having helped to put SOM on the map and establish programs and attract faculty. The participation rate for a school’s alumni fund and the engagement of its alumni network are incredibly valuable indicators for prospective students. In turn, those students will help that network continue to grow in the future.”

David agrees that the alumni community is essential to Yale College’s tradition of excellence. “The life-changing experience that I had, and that our son Sam SM ’25 is having now, was only possible because of the generosity of the donors who came before us. Whether with our time or with our financial support, it’s our duty and responsibility to make the same opportunities and experiences available to the next generation of students who come after us.”