Columbia College Chicago announced on May 8 that it will host a benefit concert to support Kathrynn Vettas, a senior Audio Arts major who is currently battling Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, May 13 at Bassline in Chicago and aims to raise funds to help cover costs associated with Vettas’s treatment.
The concert brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the local music community in an effort to support one of their own during a challenging time. For Vettas, graduating this May represents more than academic achievement; it also marks her perseverance through illness. “I’m finally doing what I love, and I’m not going to let this disease stop me,” Vettas says.
Vettas was diagnosed earlier this semester after months of unexplained symptoms and repeated visits to health clinics. Despite undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments every two weeks, she continues attending classes and preparing for graduation alongside her classmates. She expressed gratitude toward Columbia for its ongoing support: “I love music, so I’m really excited for it.”
Faculty members have worked closely with Vettas throughout her treatment process by providing flexibility around deadlines and coursework requirements. “My professors have been such saints and so generous to me when it comes to deadlines and submitting work,” Kathrynn says. “They’ve told me, ‘Please take a break, rest up. We can accommodate around this. Focus on your health first.’”
The idea for the benefit concert originated with Tom Joyce, a career advisor at Columbia College Chicago who collaborated with Ben Sutherland (interim director of the School of Audio and Music), faculty members, and student organizations to organize the event quickly. When Joyce shared news about the concert with Vettas she said: “I just started tearing up… It completely changed the course of my day.”
As graduation approaches, Vettas hopes her story encourages others facing difficulties: “It’s so important to let people help you,” she said. “You can’t do this alone.” The Care 4 Kathrynn Benefit Concert will feature performances by several artists including Aliejha, BAXTRR, Color, Marcus Bailey among others.
