Winter ’25/ ’26 Newsletter – MHC NorCal Club – Mount Holyoke Club of Northern California

Happy Winter, NorCal alums! As the year draws to a close, I hope you have a happy and restful holiday season and an easy start to the new year.

A 2025 highlight for the club has been the involvement of our Regional Reps, Karent Holt ‘77 (Auburn/Sac) and Elizabeth Knaus ‘06 (Arcata). Both alums held Mountain Day celebrations in their area and have more upcoming events. It’s great to have MHC gatherings and connection points outside of the immediate Bay Area and across the broader Northern California region. Interested in serving as a Regional Representative for your local area? Email the club 👍🏽

As you set your intentions/goals for the coming year, I hope you will include Mount Holyoke, whether it’s the college or the MHC NorCal Club. Can you give your time through volunteering? Can you give your talent by hosting an event? Can you donate some of your weekly coffee/hot drink treasure? There are so many ways to connect to the Mount Holyoke community and we look forward to connecting with you in 2026!

Warmly,

Katie Wynen ‘05 (Club President) & the MHC NorCal Club Board. Upcoming Event Highlights: 2026 Events! Alums of Color Happy Hour, Berkeley Rep, crafting together. Register here or scroll down for more information!

Upcoming Events

Join us for Holiday Ice Skating at the Union Square ice rink in downtown San Francisco! We are bringing this event back after a successful event last year. Join us for the 11:30 am skating session and bring your favorite holiday cookies to share! You will need to book the 11:30 am ice skating session and skate rental for $22 for adults. https://unionsquareicerink.com/

Kids are welcome – kids under 8 are $17. Book early as the session will likely sell out. Best to arrive 15-30 min ahead of time to check in and get your skates. Bags are not allowed on the ice so you will need to get a locker to store items. Hope to see you on the ice! Easily accessible via Public Transit!

When: Dec 6, 2025 11:30 AM

Where: Holiday Ice Rink In Union Square (RSVP)

Contact: Leah Hellerstein ’08

Join your fellow alums in reading, discussing, and learning about books by authors of color! We meet over Zoom, 7:00 to 8:00 PM PT. All alums, regardless of club affiliation, are welcome. We will return to the fourth Wednesday of the month in 2026. Visit our website to learn more, see the full list of book club picks, and register.

When: Dec 10, 2025 7:00 PM

Where: Zoom (Register for link)

Contact: Hannah Fairbanks ’03

Join Karen Holt ’77 for a 90 minute holiday bike ride through the Fab 40s in Sacramento, CA. NO alcohol but bring your own non-alcoholic beverages and a shareable snack. This is a family friendly event but children must be over 12 years old to pedal. No one under 6 years per Sac Bike Brew. There are two spots for non cyclists. Cost will be $40 per person and it includes a tip.

When: Dec 21, 2025 5:00 PM

Where: Hilltop Tavern Bar (Purchase Ticket)

Contact: Karen Holt ’77

Bring your current craft project (knitting, crocheting, or other portable craft) for an afternoon together with fellow MHC crafters (alums & current students) at Catherine Dunford’s ’79 home. Refreshments will be provided!

Catherine’s house is located in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood and easily reached by several Muni bus lines and only a mile from Glen Park BART, with a connecting bus. Parking is possible. Exact location will be provided to everyone who registers. Accessibility Note: The house has two flights of stairs. We will meet on the top floor of the house, and the bathroom is on the middle floor. This event is for a current craft project you are working on, a new craft will not be taught.

When: Jan 10, 2026 2:00 PM
Where: Bernal Heights (RSVP for address)

Contact: Catherine Dunford ’79

Join your fellow alums of color (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) for happy hour at Lucy Blue, a Black-woman-owned bar in Downtown Oakland. Happy Hour is 4p-6p. Alums will be responsible for purchasing their own drinks and the club will contribute a few appetizers.

Lucy Blue is located near the 19th Street BART station and is also accessible via various bus lines. Be sure to check out their menu and dress code.

We will have an Alums of Color Happy Hour in San Francisco on April 16, 2026.

When: Jan 15, 2026 4:00 PM

Where: Lucy Blue (RSVP)

Contact: Katie Wynen ’05

Join the NorCal Book Club for a special in-person event! We’ll see the play How Shakespeare Saved My Life and gather for food, drinks, and community somewhere nearby afterwards. Buy a ticket of your choice. Hope to see you there!

When: Feb 14, 2026 2:00 PM\

Where: Berkeley Repertory Theatre (Tickets)

Contact: Hannah Fairbanks ’03

Join us in Palo Alto for lively conversations that run the gamut of the lifecycle of a biotech career: grad school applications, boom and bust of working at start-ups or blue chip pharma, and retirement planning. We’re not limited and no topic is off the table. Get under the hood of how to envision what’s next in your journey in biotech when you join us. This event is open to Seven Sister/Sibling alums.

Alums from Barnard and Mount Holyoke, Elona Kogan, Yasmin Chandrasekher, and Susan Tom, will co-host this event.

We are making plans for our future 7S Biotech Coffees. There is room at the planning table, if you have ideas (coffee venue, hosting, etc) please reach out to mountholyoke@gmail.com

When: Feb 28, 2026 11:00 AM

Where: Gregorys Coffee (RSVP)

Contact: Susan Tom ’98 MHC

Are you interested in (co-)hosting an event for the MHC NorCal Club? Check out our website for more information about organizing an ad hoc or onetime event, which can be anything from a casual get-together to a more coordinated outing. We’re 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; check our website for more details.

Employment Opportunity

Check out this job opportunity from Jessi Du ‘19.

Jessie is building FantasiaToy – an AI-driven pleasure brand designed to listen deeply, resonate with emotions, and turn unspoken desires into trusted, liberating experiences.

She’s looking to collaborate with someone from the queer community who truly understands the importance of connection and representation:

✨to help build an authentic LGBTQ presence and community

✨to shape a product that reflects real, diverse desires.

✨Location: U.S. (remote ok). Type: Part-time / flexible

If you’re passionate about creating a world where individuals can freely explore themselves and their desires, Jessie would love to connect with you! jessdu@fantasiatoy.online