Dear fellow alums,
It’s been wonderful connecting with so many of you over the last month. In September, we gathered via Zoom to Get Out The Vote with postcard writing and political discussion, enjoyed a lively trivia night hosted by the fabulous Katie Wynen ‘04 👏, and for the inaugural meeting of our NorCal Book Club focused on books by BIPOC writers. If you missed any of these chances to be in community with other local alums, don’t worry–October brings more chances to meet up online!
Check out our slate of upcoming events below. Also: keep your eyes peeled for Mountain Day 2020 festivities. ⛰🍦 Although COVID-19 will keep us from meeting in person for ice cream, we’ll have a chance to celebrate together virtually. As soon as we hear from the College, we’ll be in touch! Looking forward to “seeing” you at an upcoming event.
Our very best wishes,
The Board
Club updates:
How to update your contact information with the Alum Association
Make sure your contact information is up-to-date with the Alum Association! That way you can get the most out up-to-date information, event invites, and other communication from the College and the Club, as well as so other alums can reach you! Need help? Check out our guide.
LinkedIn group
Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn. We’ve created a space to job search, network, seek professional advice, and connect with alums of all ages located in Northern California. If you’re new to the region, about to relocate, or have been here your whole career, we welcome you!
Anti-racism call to action results
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by an officer of the Minneapolis Police Department. Before and after Mr. Floyd’s murder, many Black people have been killed by police and others empowered by white supremacy. This event spurred uprisings across the country, demanding the abolition of policing and the deconstruction of other forms of structural racism. As part of this reckoning, in July 2020, the board of MHC NorCal chose to put out a survey to our membership, asking what we can and should do to meet this moment and practice anti-racism in our organization. This slide deck summarizes what we heard from you and outlines what actions we will take going forward.
Please be aware that this is just the beginning. We board members have volunteered to serve you and the wider MHC NorCal community, but we recognize that our personal perspectives are limited. We welcome your participation to improve our efforts and to keep us accountable.
Lifetime Membership
This month, the NorCal Club welcomed its second Lifetime Member, Eleanor Chang ’78–who also happens to be a member of our Board and serves as our Alum Association Liaison. Eleanor has been passionate about supporting Mount Holyoke for over 40 years. She currently serves on the Alum Association’s Board as Director-at-Large for Global Initiatives. Previously, she has served on the College’s Board of Trustees as well as co-chaired the inaugural Asian Alum Symposium in Hong Kong. She was the Membership Chair of our Northern California Club, as well as a member of the SF Major Gifts Committee, the Alum Trustee & Awards Committee, the Asian Scholarship Nucleus Committee, and the Global Strategy Task Force. Eleanor is a retired banker and received her MBA from Carnegie-Mellon University.
She notes, “I am happy to support the Club and all the enthusiastic and dedicated board members; I trust we will continue to bring innovative and quality programs to engage and connect alums in Northern CA.” If you’re friends with Eleanor on social media, you also know that she is a fabulous photographer and chronicler of daily life (especially during COVID), documenting adventures in cooking, baking, and the outdoors. Thank you, Eleanor, for your generous donation, and for your continued support of the Club! If any other alums would like to become a Lifetime Member, we’d love to have you.