Author: wellesley2009

STAYING HOME, STAYING CONNECTED

Reunion is in a couple of days! Are you as excited as we are? If you’re coming, we look forward to seeing you soon. If you’re unable to make it, we’re sad that we won’t be seeing you, but hope you will stay involved in our class, either through our class notes and our Facebook group. The Wellesley Alumnae network is a family that you can always plug into, either in person or through your local alumnae club.

That is the sentiment more eloquently expressed by Eliza Borné, an alumna who unfortunately won’t be going to reunion this year, but who will be celebrating with us in spirit. Here she is on what it means to be a Wellesley alumnae, and staying connected despite staying at home.

There’s something different about this week’s guest post…I’m sad to report that I won’t be going to reunion this year.

The reason? I’ve come to believe that this year is my “year of the wedding.” I know lots of y’all can relate. In 2014, I’ve RSVP’d to no less than six weddings—so far (it’d be seven if two weren’t on the same weekend). My husband and I are from different states, we went to different colleges, and we had a four-year stint in Nashville after I graduated from Wellesley. Now we live in Little Rock, where I work at the Oxford American magazine. All of those communities happily add up to lots of friends in the 27-to-35-year-old range in many different locales. And now that a bunch of them are getting hitched, we’re enjoying year-round mini-reunions all over the country.

We’re also hoarding our vacation days and saving our pennies to foot the bill, which means that this June, a trip back to Massachusetts is a no-go.

I’m bummed that I won’t be able to walk the beautiful campus or visit with old friends, many of whom I haven’t seen since 2009. I miss so many things about Wellesley: hanging out with the Newsies (Wellesley News staff), walking around the lake to clear my mind, hosting impromptu dance parties with my roomie Kate Wolff.

But when my dear friend (and reunion co-chair) Annie Zhou asked me to write about ways I continue to stay involved with Wellesley that don’t involve going to reunion, I started thinking about it and realized that the college is still very present in my life—even though the campus is about 1,500 miles away from my front door.

When I first moved to Nashville, one of my first orders of business was to contact the alumnae club. I’m so glad I did. The women in this group welcomed me in activities ranging from happy hours to volunteer work at the YWCA, and they helped me adjust to life after Wellesley when I was starting my first real job in a new city.

And I adore the Wellesley ladies in Little Rock—like Elaine Hoffman Scott ’57, with whom I belong to a book club; or Ellen Bass Brantley ’70, who recently hosted a “Ready for Hillary” party (as Arkansan Wellesley women, we are SO ready for HRC ’69!); or Hannah Vogler ’96, who gives great advice about how to be a leader at work. I’m occasionally contacted by young alumnae via the W Network for tips on starting a career in my field, and I always make time for those calls; I can think of so many ways that I have personally benefited from my own friendships and conversations with alums.

Here’s an example. Thanks to the kindness of associate editor Lisa Scanlon ’99, I get to write often for the Wellesley alumnae magazine. I love reading and reviewing books written by my talented Wellesley sibs (folks like Monica Byrne ’03 and Malinda Lo ’96—who wow me with their talent and keep me up late turning pages). One time, I even got to interview superstar romance novelist Lisa Kleypas ’86.

Speaking of Lisa Kleypas, I think I’ll wrap this up by circling back to weddings. (Lisa would approve. During our Q&A, she made it a point to note that “love is part of a fulfilled life.”) At my wedding, in October of 2013, it was such a joy to be surrounded by a group of my Wellesley sisters, two of whom were bridesmaids. I will never forget the feeling of having them stand next to me while I made those big promises in front of so many people I love.

On my wedding day with my Wellesley roommate/bridesmaid Kate Wolff. I love this pic because it’s so us… it’s the middle of my wedding, but I still can’t help but stop and gab with my old friend. Photo by Kati Mallory.

This June, I’ll be feeling the Wellesley love from afar while my classmates return to campus. I’m going to miss the all-class dance party and the catching up with friends.

But I have a feeling that throughout this year (and all years) I’ll find other ways to stay in touch.

Crossing the Pond to Get to the Lake (Waban, that is)

Our 5-year reunion is in just a couple of days! The travel back to campus for some of you may be relatively short (one of our co-chairs Joyce Chen lives in Cambridge, MA), but for some of you, you may be boarding planes and traveling for many hours to get back to Wellesley. We thank you for taking the time (and money) to attend reunion. This week’s guest post comes from Erika Kahn, an alumnae who is traveling from London!

When I tell people in London that I’m going to my college reunion, they often assume I’m just meeting up with a couple of friends. When I explain that Reunion will actually last three days, that I’m not sure exactly what’s going to happen but that there will be activities including a parade, that most of us will be housed in dorms on campus, and that not only will I see my friends, but also a lot of my year’s classmates, as well as all of the other ‘4s and ‘9s — well, they look surprised!

I moved to Paris right after graduation, and to London a year later, first for grad school, then for work. The concept of school pride is generally less strong in Europe than in the US. When I meet Wellesley women, I know that we share a special bond and that there’s a large part of my identity that needs no explaining.

I haven’t been back to campus or to the Boston area since graduation. I’m excited to see the beautiful campus and Lake Waban, and of course, my Wellesley sisters. It’s one thing to catch up via email or Skype – It will be another to have everyone hanging out in a res hall and on campus, running into each other in the Bates dining hall as we’re trying to sample every single dish available at the buffet! (And come on, Class of 2009, how can we not have fun in the Anti-Virus dorm*?!)

I’m excited to hear about what everyone has been up to for the last five years – I’m pretty sure that most of us wouldn’t have imagined where life would take us. I’m looking forward to talking about our hopes and dreams, our doubts and dilemmas, and our outlooks on life – It’s comforting to know that five years after graduation, the sisterhood is still there. I’m excited about Reunion and about this opportunity to reconnect.

See you there!

*I am, of course, referring to McAfee

Soundtrack to Reunion

It’s just 5 weeks until our first reunion kicks off on June 6! Each week, we will be showcasing an alum who will be attending Reunion 2014, and the reasons they are excited about coming back to campus. This week, we have Rose-Ellen El Khoury, lover of justice, comic books, and all things patriotic (including the New England Patriots)!

Rose-Ellen El Khoury is a Spice Girl wannabe. But then again, aren’t we all?

I’m a pretty auditory person, ten times more likely to remember something I hear than something I see. When I meet someone new, I’ll forget their name and their face, but their voice will stick with me. In the third grade, I learned both ‘kitchen’ and ‘chicken’ as spelling words by setting them to the same melody. My memories are a little bit like a slide show: random still images and short video clips overlaid with dozens of layers of sound.

So when I start thinking about my time at Wellesley, and about our upcoming reunion, my mind immediately goes to music. Not just the concerts that came to school, although I know the memory of each and every one of them from Santigold to Harry and the Potters will stay with me. My playlist for Reunion has songs like No Doubt’s “Spiderweb,” which I didn’t realize was a great song until I heard it performed by one of the college’s acapella groups. It also has a good number of Billy Joel songs (especially “For the Longest Time,” which I’ll always hear in my head as sung by my friends rather than Joel), the Black Eyed Peas’ “Elephunk” and “Monkey Business” albums, “Wannabe,” by the Spice Girls (thanks to midnight breakfast and WZLY, I can never hear this song without craving smiley fries), every Disney song ever, and much, much more.

The soundtrack to my life has changed since I’ve left Wellesley. To my shock and dismay, the Decemberists don’t fit the way that they once did, and I woke up one day to realize that even though I still didn’t like Coldplay. (“The Scientist” is a gorgeous track, and I love it.)

New bands, artists, and songs have come into my life. Some good, like Of Monsters and Men, some that I like against my will, like “Call Me, Maybe,” and some I can’t imagine living without, like Neon Trees and Janelle Monae (especially ‘Q.U.E.E.N.,’ am I right?). [Editor’s note from Joyce Chen: yes, yes you are so right.] Much as I love all my new stuff, getting ready for reunion has me digging through my old CDs and scrolling through the playlists I made between the ages of 18 and 21, excited to hear music that’s been there these past five years, even if I haven’t played it as much as I once thought I would.

Here’s to creating even more musical memories! Registration for reunion closes May 22nd. Hope to see you all there.

Sisterhood and super mega fun

It’s just 6 weeks until our first reunion kicks off on June 6! Each week, we will be showcasing an alum who will be attending Reunion 2014, and the reasons they are excited about coming back to campus. This week, we have Ava Bastian and Julia Shaw, our lovely social hour chairs!

When we think back on the last 5 years, it isn’t easy to keep track of all the change. I, for one, have been blessed with a terrible memory so not only do I not really remember who I was when I left the loving embrace of Wellesley, my post-graduation years are a bit murky as well.

That is why reunion is so great. Sure, we have all done our best to stay in touch, but moves, job changes and the general demands of real life sometimes got in the way. Coming home to Wellesley for reunion is a chance to reconnect with all of the people we haven’t seen or don’t get to see enough. It’s a chance to remember who we were 5 years ago and recapture our enthusiasm to take on the world while surrounded by the encouragement of our always impressive peers. It’s a chance to take stock in how far you have come and all that you have achieved. And most importantly, as we are your happy hour/social hour chairs, it is a chance to celebrate ourselves and each other with free alcohol.

We have been to a few other Wellesley reunions in the past 5 years, obviously for research purposes only, and could easily sell you on how beautiful campus is in early June, all of the great events you can attend, all the amazing alums from other classes that you will meet but the most important thing is that it is fun. Like really fun. Like super mega fun. Like senior week without the terrible weather we had fun.

We can’t wait to see you all there!

Yours in sisterhood,

Ava and Julia

Good Things Come in 3s: Reasons I’m Going to Reunion

It’s 9 weeks until our first reunion kicks off on June 6! Each week, we will be showcasing an alum who will be attending Reunion 2014, and the reasons they are excited about coming back to campus. This week, we start with Hillary Chu, Wellesley 2009 alum, committed marathon runner, and do-gooder at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Without further ado, Ms. Hillary Chu…

Hillary Chu at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

I’m excited to be a guest blogger on the ’09 blog! Since graduating, I’ve moved to L.A. then back to Boston, a homecoming that I’ve deeply regretted this winter! What’s fun about living in the Boston area is running into Wellesley alums and students all the time — you don’t necessarily know the person, but if she’s carrying a Wellesley tote or wearing a W football shirt, you know one thing: she is awesome!

Currently, the #1 conversation-starter when I meet a Wellesley alum: “so what do you think about the sleep-walking naked man?” This never fails to elicit a groan, always followed by a laugh!

2 great ways I’ve taken advantage of being a Wellesley alum:

I audited a class! I took drawing 105 (one of the few classes offering a night section), and it was really fun to be in a class with such smart students (and be taking it for free)!
I made possibly the best use of the W network ever: I reached out to an alum who is a senior curator at the Met, and she gave me a back-stage tour of the old European department! How awesome is that?

Finally, 3 reasons I’m excited about going to reunion!

FRIENDS: Of course, my top reason is getting to see my friends again! I’m beyond excited for quality catching-up.
WELLESLEY BEAUTY: I also miss the campus itself–I’ve run by on a couple of my group training runs (prepping for the Boston Marathon!), but not in, so I haven’t even seen the sleep-walking naked man yet!
THE ALUMS: And I’m really looking forward to meeting alums from previous years–I had so much fun at past reunions hearing about their wild shenanigans “back in the day”! Now that we’re attending our FIRST reunion as alums, it’s also our first official event with that sisterhood!

Hillary Chu (’09) was greeted at the scream tunnel at the 2013 Boston Marathon by Xing-Yin Ni, Joyce Chen, and Annie Zhou, all ’09 alums.

Register for reunion by April 17 to take advantage of the early bird discount: http://www.wellesley.edu/alumnae/events/reunion_general/registration-class-schedules

Blog with us! Email wellesley2009reunion@gmail.com.

Register for Reunion 2014 now!

Hello 09-ers!

It’s amazing that almost 5 years has passed since we graduated from Wellesley College. The Reunion Committee and Wellesley Alumnae Association have been working hard to bring you a great reunion! Take this chance to reconnect and build new memories with friends that you will have for life.

Registration is now open! Register before April 17 to receive an early registration discount! REGISTER HERE.

In October, some of the reunion committee returned to Wellesley for the Alumnae Leadership Council for a bit of a reunion-planning bootcamp. What we heard over and over again from alums were how strong and long-lasting their bonds with their fellow classmates and with their alma mater are. Come to reunion and reaffirm those bonds with your fellow siblings 🙂

Hope to see you there!

Joyce and Annie, Reunion 2014 Co-Chairs

Wellesley2009Reunion@gmail.com

Joyce and Annie snuck in to say hi to Hillary while working Reunion 2009!

Reconnection Saturday!! (AND MORE)

What? I actually remembered that it’s Reconnection Saturday? Witchcraft! (Or perhaps a clever calendar device on my phone! You be the judge.)
Fall always feels like the unofficial start of the year, doesn’t it, what with school starting. Even though I’m [finally] out of school, the start of other people’s school year always makes me think about new beginnings. I also tend to make “Fall Resolutions” rather than New Year’s ones.

Fall is also a season for travel! So this week, get in touch with an ’09 alum who’s recently gone on a journey of some kind: physical, emotional, spiritual… it doesn’t matter. If you’ve got a friend who’s been traveling (or even just taking a new route to work) get in touch and say hello! Because distance shouldn’t be a barrier to RECONNECTION! (See what I did there? Well, I thought it was clever.)

On a completely unrelated note, I’m looking for people interested in being regional coordinators for mini-reunions. We’re going on four years out of Wellesley, and many of us are feeling more-or-less settled, so I’d like for us to start putting together physical reunions, not just virtual ones! If you’re interested, please contact me at rose-ellen@alum.wellesley.edu

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

~Rose, ’09 VP

RECONNECTION SATURDAY!!

Hey, my fellow ’09ers! My apologies for my dereliction of duties these past few months. Those of you who know me personally are aware that I’ve been studying for the bar/recovering from studying for the bar, but it’s really not an excuse for turning into a modern sort of hermit. Although hermits probably see the sun more than bar applicants. And they were probably aware that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes broke up.

In any case, it’s that time of month! (No, not that time. A fun time! A time for reconnecting with your fellow alums.)

So, as I have been hiding under a rock, tethered to the world of the living only by good friends and family members who occasionally checked in to make sure I hadn’t died in a tragicomic bar review book accident, I charge you to reach out to someone that looks in on you in that concerned way, or (if you are the responsible one in the relationship) to get in touch with that scattered Wellesley friend who needs someone to check in on them.

Hope all’s well!!

~Rose, ’09 VP

Reconnection Saturday!

Yes, I know it’s been a while since we’ve had a Reconection Saturday prompt, and I apologize! Hopefully the Class of 2009 has been connecting regardless. In case you need a bit of inspiration though….

Part of the Wellesley experience is trying new things and being exposed to new ideas. For this Reconnection Saturday, get in touch with someone who introduced you to something new and exciting! This can be anything: a flavor of ice cream, a discipline of study, a technique for washing your clothes more efficiently… whatever you think of as memorable, something you can’t imagine your life without!

~Rose, ’09 VP

PS: If anyone else ever has ideas for a Reconnection Saturday prompt… let me know!

rose-ellen@alum.wellesley.edu or rose.hyphen.ellen@gmail.com

GOOD THINGS COME IN THREES

Dear Class of 2009,

Three months into 2012 might feel a bit early to start thinking about 2014, but we are women who will make plans. I am writing today to announce three exciting ways to serve the Class of 2009:

The Reunion Committee Chair will organize our first reunion. She sets the vision and tone for the class portion of reunion weekend and is the primary contact for the Alumnae Association. She is responsible for recruiting committee chairs and members, setting the budget with the treasurer, chairing planning meetings, and keeping the committee connected, motivated, and ready for the fun that is reunion! She will receive training at the Alumnae Leadership Council in the fall of 2013. The current class officers and the Alumnae Association staff will provide the Reunion Committee Chair with support throughout her term.
The Record Book Chair will oversee the production of our first Class Record Book. What is a Class Record Book, you ask? It’s a collection of reflections and contact information that is published every five years. In the words of Class Treasurer Esther Jang, you can write whatever you like: a short script, a rant, a completely made up story about your post-graduation life, or how you feel about brunch. The Record Book Chair is responsible for recruiting committee members, choosing the medium (print or electronic), soliciting and collecting entries, and delivering the final product. She will receive training at the Alumnae Leadership Council in the fall of 2013. The current class officers and the Alumnae Association staff will provide the Reunion Book Chair with support throughout her term.
The Nominating Committee Chair along with her committee of two or three classmates will fill the slate of alumnae class office candidates on behalf of the class. While the work is finite, taking place over just a few weeks, the impact is lasting. The women you slate will lead our class from 2014-2019, building enthusiasm and keeping our class cohesive for years to come. The Nominating Committee Chair is responsible for recruiting committee members, contacting classmates, informing them of available offices, and generating interest in volunteering for the upcoming five-year cycle.

All three positions provide an important service to Wellesley and to our class. If you are interested in one of these positions, please follow this link to submit a short statement of intent. You are welcome to submit as an individual or with one other classmate as co-chairs. Statements will be accepted until April 15, 2012. Chair selections will be made by the current class officers and announced on April 30, 2012. Please do not hesitate to contact me at wellesley2009 [at] alum.wellesley.edu if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Xing-Yin, ’09 President