Dear fellow alums,
Our hearts are heavy with the news cycle. The NorCal club stands in solidarity with Ukraine and opposes all acts of war. We hope that the opportunities to be in community with other local Mount Holyoke alums provide a sense of solace and a place to discuss current events, resources, and actions we can take to help support the people of Ukraine.
In March we gathered for happy hour at Oeste Kitchen + Bar to celebrate International Women’s Day. Being together in person provided a much-needed boost of connection. Thank you to the Club’s Recent Alum Chair Olivia Lucas ’18 for putting together such a dynamic event! Where should we host our next happy hour meetup? We are not limited to events in the Bay Area. If you would like to gather with alums in your area, even if you do not know if there are alums in your area, reach out to us.
Many of the Club’s April events feature opportunities to celebrate BIPOC voices. This afternoon, Friday, April 1st, we are pleased to bring back attorney and SCOTUS expert Barbara B. Creed to host a special virtual event entitled “Reflections on the Supreme Court Nomination and Confirmation Process for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.” Please see below for details and Zoom login information.
Join board members Katie Wynen ’05 and Stepanie Corrales ’16 tomorrow, April 2nd, at Atomic Allure in Oakland for a private pole dancing class especially for BIPOC alums. (Don’t forget to register to save your spot—tickets are going fast!) Jean Han ’87 will be leading an in-person mentorship group focused on the power of networking. Attend this month’s book club via Zoom to discuss George Takei’s powerful graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy and the novel When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka. Both books detail the experiences of Japanese Americans imprisoned in U.S. incarceration camps during World War II.
Stay tuned for more chances to connect with your Northern California alum community in the coming months, including a holistic self-care workshop with Chantel Lucier ’96, a horseback trail ride at Folger Stables in Woodside with NorCal Club President Marija Vulfs ’08, co-hosted with members of the Club of the Peninsula, our annual Mary Lyon Tea, and an opportunity to peek into the private studio of renowned visual artist Shan Shan Sheng MHCG ’83. Check out more detailed event descriptions and register below.
Pay Your Dues
Many thanks to those of you who have paid your dues and/or become Lifetime Members so far in 2022. If you want to pay membership dues for the 2021-2022 year or become a Lifetime Member, please do so here: MHC Club of Northern CA Membership Dues. If you prefer to pay by check, please email us. Additionally, if your company offers corporate matching or incentives for volunteering or being a part of a non-profit organization, we are happy to work with them to find ways to financially support our Club.
Join the Board
We want you! For those interested in being more involved with the Club, please consider joining our fantastic board. We welcome alums from our entire Northern California region, not just the Bay Area. Our Board meetings are via Zoom even in non-pandemic times, so location truly doesn’t matter. We would love to have representation from throughout our incredibly large region!
We are especially looking for someone to fill our Communications Chair position. If you are a savvy social media maven, can write compelling newsletters like the one you’re reading right now, want to build community with local alums, or stay connected to the College, this is a great role for you. If only one of these aspects of the position applies to you, reach out anyway.
The next term begins July 1, 2022. Please peruse the board descriptions and if any open positions spark your interest, reach out to us by email or fill out this Statement of Interest. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives, new ideas, and look forward to hearing from you.
Our very best wishes,
– The Board