Across the Generations

Dear Fellow Alumnae,

This has been, and continues to be, a busy Spring semester. First, please join me in welcoming Erin Fredrick ’01 as the director of Alumnae Affairs. Many of you know Erin from her role as associate director of Reunion and Leadership Council, and most recently as interim co-director of Alumnae Affairs with Vanessa Corba ’96. By the way, Vanessa has also taken on additional responsibilities in the offices of Development and Alumnae Affairs. We are fortunate to be able to maintain the continuity of our work relationship.

Volunteers working on AABC committees have been planning interesting and informative programs. They have been forging collaborative relationships with other Barnard organizations to maximize precious resources. For example, the Professional and Leadership Development committee has been working with the Barnard Business and Professional Women on some joint programming and the Young Alumnae committee is working with the Career Development office. Groups of dedicated Barnard volunteers and staff have been deepening the quality of their alliances to make the opportunities for you to connect with the College and each other. Not only is that happening on Broadway, it’s happening in regional clubs all over the country. With the addition of Susannah Goldstein ’02 to the Alumnae Affairs staff in October, there is once again dedicated staff support for the regional clubs.

I had the pleasure of attending the Senior Dinner, the Torchbearers Reception, and the rebirth of the Barnard Club of Atlanta with fellow alumnae and current Barnard students. The aspect of these events that I find most rewarding is the comfortable multigenerational participation of Barnard women. Alumnae from every decade from the ’40s forward and students from every class from 2009–2012 engage in stimulating intellectual conversations and develop rewarding friendships. I am enjoying the company of women who would have been my mother’s peers and women who are my son’s peers; I would never have met them if we did not all belong to the Barnard community. If you would like to reconnect with old friends or make some new ones, contact Alumnae Affairs. If you would like to become a volunteer, you know the Association always benefits from a new infusion of ideas. Join a committee, attend an event, become a mentor or reach out to a friend. By strengthening the lifelong connection among Barnard alumnae, the College will continue to be an outstanding liberal arts college for future generations of young women.

Reunion is coming. I look forward to seeing you.

As ever,

Frances Sadler ’72

President of the Alumnae Associataion

P.S. Watch your e-mail inbox this summer for the announcement of exciting new features to alum.barnard.edu that will help keep us all connected to each other and to Barnard.

-Portrait by Elena Seibert