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Spring 2025 Newsletter – MHC NorCal Club

Happy spring, NorCal alums! We hope everyone is enjoying the longer days of sunlight, and if you’re attending Reunion 2025 in South Hadley, don’t forget to register by May 1st! 

Are you an alum who works in biotech? Please fill out a quick survey to help the Board understand how we can best serve you.

Upcoming event highlights: Join the MHC NorCal Book Club on Mar 26, 2025, when we will welcome author & fellow alum Tara Roberts ’91 and chat over Zoom about her new memoir Written in the Waters. We will also be offering two in-person events on Mar 30, 2025: a tour of Dandelion Chocolate’s 16th Street Factory in SF, as well as a workshop by Mila Devenport ’13 on Digital Well-Being and AI Ethics Talk for Parents, Educators and Technologists in Alameda. Additionally, please join us in welcoming the newest class of Green Griffins at our Pangy Day Admitted Students Reception in SF on Apr 5, 2025.

Register for in-person events here or scroll down for more information!

Recent Events

Lunar New Year Watercolor for Adults, February 2025.

Adrianne W. ’21, Katie W. ’05, Tiffany M. ’01, and Sabina S. ’03 celebrated the Year of the Snake by engaging their artistic sides with watercolors.

Mary Lyon Tea, March 2025.

Pauline A. ’87, Leah H. ’08, Ann L. ’79, Catherine D. ’79, Anne D. B. ’71, Saadia S. ’16, Katia K. ’17, Melissa I. ’12, and Estefania R. B. ’15 gathered at Malaya Tea Room in honor of Mary Lyon’s birthday.

Berkeley Playhouse presents: Jesus Christ Superstar, March 2025.

You only have until March 30th to see Sydney Jacobs Allen ’18 as Judas in this powerhouse rock opera, so get your tickets now. Thanks to Katie ’05 for the picture!

Upcoming Events

MHC NorCal Book Club: In Conversation with Tara Roberts ’91

Join your fellow alums in reading and discussing books by authors of color! In March, we will be joined by author and MHC alum Tara Roberts ’91, who will chat with us about her recently published book Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging. This will be a fireside chat style event, with lots of time for engagement and discussion, so please send over some questions that we can share with Tara ahead of time. You can also check out her podcast Into the Depths as well as her feature story in the fall 2022 Alumnae Quarterly. 

Buy the book: via Bookshop.org (or get a copy by visiting your local indie bookstore, e.g., SF-based Noe Valley Books or Dog Eared Books Valencia / Oakland-based Marcus Books or A Great Good Place for Books / Berkeley-based Mrs. Dalloway’s or Moe’s Books / Sacramento-based Beers Books or Underground Books)

Find a library copy: via WorldCat.org

Note that this Zoom event will be happening at an earlier time (5:30 to 7:00 PM) than the book club’s standing meeting time, which is from 7:00 to 8:00 PM PT on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Visit mhcnorcalclub.org/bookclub to learn more and see the full list of book club picks!

When: Mar 26, 2025 5:30 PM PDT
Where: Zoom (Register for link — all alums are welcome)
Contact: Hannah Fairbanks ’03

Dandelion Chocolate Factory Tour

Walk through Dandelion’s historic brick 16th Street factory with an expert Chocolate Educator: View our entire production line, and enjoy plenty of samples, from fresh cacao pulp to finished chocolate. Machines may or may not be running during your visit, and you are always sure to catch the aroma of freshly roasted cocoa beans and chocolate. In many cases, we will have the factory to ourselves; we’ll dive deeper into chocolate history, as well as our own sourcing and production processes. Either way, expect lots of chocolate to taste along the way. 

Tickets are limited (and for alums only), so visit the event page to learn more and register now!

When: Mar 30, 2025 3:00 PM PDT
Where: Dandelion Chocolate 16th Street Factory 
Contact: Mount Holyoke Club of Northern California

Digital Well-Being and AI Ethics Talk for Parents, Educators and Technologists

Mila Devenport ’13 is the founder and Chief Education Officer of Kigumi Group, a social enterprise based out of Hong Kong that creates curricula around AI ethics, digital well-being, and cyber resilience for kids, parents, and teachers. Mila will be running a private, complimentary 1-hour workshop in Alameda (location will be disclosed upon registration) on Sunday, March 30th; she and other members of the Kigumi team will be available before and after the event to engage potential partners and investors. 

 

This event is open to 7 Sister alums and 7 Sisters-affiliated individuals (including staff, family members, and friends of alums). We encourage professionals and employers to also join, even if they are not parents themselves, as they will gain an understanding of how this topic shapes Gen Z and Gen A employees’ experiences.

Visit the event page to learn more and register now, and thanks to Ann Blake ’85 for connecting us with Mila!

When: Mar 30, 2025 3:00 PM PDT
Where: Alameda (RSVP for address)
Contact: Mila Devenport ’13

Pangy Day Admitted Students Reception

Our warmest congratulations to all of the new Green Griffins (MHC class of 2029)! The Mount Holyoke Clubs of Northern California and the Peninsula are excited to welcome the newest admits to the vibrant community that awaits them in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Join us in San Francisco on Saturday, April 5th, for our take on the school’s springtime tradition (maypole not included).

All NorCal and Peninsula alums are invited to celebrate spring and show the newest admits the strength and vibrancy of the MHC community. Recent alums are particularly encouraged to attend and share their experiences and advice, but all alums are welcome. Many thanks to Liz for hosting at her home and providing us with light refreshments!

When: Apr 5, 2025 3:00 PM PDT
Where: San Francisco (RSVP for address)
Contact: Mount Holyoke Club of Northern California

Are you interested in hosting/co-hosting an event? Check out our website for more information about organizing an ad hoc or onetime event, which can range from a casual get-together to a more coordinated outing. The Club is able to support event leads with logistics, so no prior event planning experience is required! We’ve also helped alums promote their NorCal-based art exhibits, book signings, and more, so check our website for more details.

Save the Date

SF Hike/Outdoor Event

More details are coming soon, so keep an eye on our social media to get the latest updates!

When: May 3, 2025
Where: San Francisco
Contact: Mount Holyoke Club of Northern California

MHC @ Berkeley Playhouse + Potluck

See The Sound of Music at Berkeley Playhouse with your fellow alums! A potluck gathering will occur prior to the show at the home of Sabina S. ’03.

When: Jun 7, 2025
Where: Berkeley Playhouse
Contact: Katie Wynen ’05

MHC NorCal Club Annual Meeting

A gathering of alums and students where we recap the past year in NorCal events, membership, and finances; hold board elections; and connect with each other. Recent annual meetings have featured alum career panels and MHC-themed trivia!

When: Jun 14, 2025 2:00 PM PDT
Where: San Francisco (RSVP coming soon)
Contact: Mount Holyoke Club of Northern California

You made it to the end! Thanks for reading, we hope to see you at an upcoming event 💚

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