Mountain Day Around the Bay (clockwise from top left: San Francisco, Alameda, San Bruno Mountain Park, Santa Cruz.
Happy November, NorCal Alums! Do you have access to a space the club can use to host an event? We’re particularly interested in locations that can accommodate 10-20 people in accessible areas of San Francisco and the East Bay. Whether you can open your home/backyard, reserve a community room in your condo/apartment complex, or book an area of your workplace, we’d like to know! Please fill out this form if you have a place in mind.
As a heads up, we’ll be switching to a quarterly newsletter in 2025. These will include updates about the club’s regularly scheduled offerings as well as photos from recent events. We’ll also be sending out occasional email blasts to promote ad hoc events. If you’re interested in leading or co-leading a one-off event, please fill out this form!
To stay in the loop and get reminders of upcoming events, follow us on Instagram and Facebook if you haven’t already. We’d also appreciate if you can take a couple minutes to fill out this member survey so we can get a better sense of what kinds of events appeal to you.
Upcoming Events
Founder’s Day Prospective Students Ice Cream Social
Celebrate the founding of Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in November 1837 by the dedicated visionary and educator Mary Lyon! At a time when women in the U.S. were not allowed to go about without wearing a bonnet or cap, our founder spent years doggedly fundraising — and raising eyebrows — in order to establish a financially sustainable institution of higher education for women. A most beloved tradition of Mount Holyoke College is to gather over ice cream and raise our spoons in honor of the bravery and vision of our founder.
The Mount Holyoke Clubs of the Peninsula and Northern California invite alums and prospective students to join us at our annual Founder’s Day Prospective Students Ice Cream Social. Light refreshments and sweet treats will be served at the home of Beth S. ’85 in Palo Alto. Alums are asked to bring a pint of their favorite ice cream to share. Recent alums and current students are particularly encouraged to attend and share perspectives on the college and favorite memories. If you know of any high school students in 10th through 12th grade who may be interested in applying to MHC, please invite them to this event!
RSVP here for more details
When: Nov 2, 2024 3:00 PM PDT (new date!)
Where: Palo Alto (address provided upon RSVP)
Contact: Adrianne Wu ’21
Virtual Social Hour for FP’s and Master Grads
We are excited to invite you to a special virtual event for MHC Frances Perkins Scholars and Master’s graduates living in California. Our four California-based alum clubs—NorCal, Peninsula, SoCal, and San Diego—are collaborating to offer a unique opportunity to network, socialize, and connect with Tiffany Espinosa, Executive Director of Professional and Graduate Education (PaGE) at Mount Holyoke College.
We hope you’ll join us on Friday, November 8, for this wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow alums and hear more about what’s happening at Mount Holyoke!
Register here for Zoom link
When: Nov 8, 2024 5:30 PM PST
Where: Zoom
Contact: Mount Holyoke Club of Southern California
Seussical @ Berkeley Playhouse (ft. MHC Alum!)
“Step into a whimsical world where imagination knows no bounds! Get ready for Seussical, a spectacular journey through the beloved universe of Dr. Seuss.
From the Cat in the Hat’s mischievous antics to Horton the Elephant’s heartwarming quest, this vibrant production brings beloved characters to life with catchy tunes, colorful costumes, and a message of unity and acceptance that will enchant audiences of all ages.” (via Berkeley Playhouse)
Sydney Jacobs Allen ’18 will be performing in this production!
Purchase tickets here
When: Nov 22, 2024 7:00 PM PST
Where: Berkeley Playhouse
Contact: Katie Wynen ’05
MHC NorCal Book Club: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Join your fellow alums in reading, discussing, and learning about books by authors of color over Zoom. Check out what the book club’s previously read here, and email Hannah with any suggestions!
To accommodate people’s holiday plans, the book club will not be meeting in November, and the last meeting of the year will take place in early December.
Register here for Zoom link
When: Dec 4, 2024 7:00 PM PST
Where: Zoom
Contact: Hannah Fairbanks ’03
Ice Skating Cookie Exchange
Inspired by heart warming traditions from South Hadley, Leah H. ’08 and Susan T. ’98 will host “Ice Skating Cookie Exchange” at San Francisco’s Union Square on Saturday, December 7th.
Family and friends are welcome (and highly encouraged, especially kids) to join as we soak in the season. Bring 1-2 dozen (home or store made) cookies to share before we take to the ice for a 60-minute session.
We will meet at 11:00 AM at the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink, in the heart of Union Square near the corner of Geary and Powell streets: 333 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. You can take part in both (skate & cookies) or just one. It’s all in the name of good cheer!
Advance online purchase of tickets for 11:30 AM entry is highly recommended at least two weeks before the event (by November 23rd).
Reserve your ticket
When: Dec 7, 2024 11:00 AM PST
Where: Holiday Ice Rink In Union Square
Contact: Susan Tom ’98 and Leah Hellerstein ’08
Club Updates
 | Interested in getting more involved with the Club? Check out this document for board position descriptions, then reach out to us. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives and new ideas, and we look forward to hearing from you!Image by Johanna Strodt, CC-BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
 | Are you able to host an event at your home, office, or condo/apartment complex community area? Fill out this Google Form, and we’ll reach out if we have an event that could utilize your space!Image by Maicon Fonseca Zanco, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
Stay Connected
- Join our Facebook page (public) and Facebook Group (alums only)
- Follow us on Instagram (public), and tag us in your photos from our events
- Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn (alums only)
- Bookmark our website
- Check out our upcoming events
- Learn about the Board and peruse the position descriptions if you’re interested in joining
- Fill out the Member Event form if you’d like to lead an ad hoc event
- Fill out the Available Space form if you’re able to offer a space for the Club to hold an event
- Reach out to us if you’d like to volunteer with the Club or share feedback
- Make sure your Alum Directory information is accurate, and update as needed by following these instructions
The Club does not control the newsletter email list, so if you’d like to unsubscribe, you’ll need to update your email preferences in the Alum Directory. For your convenience, we have compiled step-by-step instructions.