Connecting Barnard Women

I’m happy to report that this year is off to a great start. The association’s committees have convened to develop events and programs that will be enjoyable and stimulating, while providing you opportunities to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. Keep watching your e-mail for the Bits and Bytes newsletter with program descriptions, dates, and times.

The current economic crisis has touched us all. It has implications for the College as well as each of us personally. The board of trustees, the president, and the administration are working to ensure that Barnard continues to provide the high quality education for young women as it has done in the past. On a more personal level, some of you have suffered serious financial reversals. Or you, your spouse or partner, or a classmate may be suddenly unemployed. As alumnae, you have the resources of the Office of Career Development at your disposal. Wherever you live and whatever your class year, OCD staff can assist you with recrafting your résumé, brushing up your interview skills, and job-searching techniques. Please take advantage of them by contacting OCD at 212.854.2033 to schedule an office or phone counseling appointment.

In difficult times, I think we should draw on the rewards of our investment in human capital. Call a friend or classmate to just talk as we did when we were students. Plan to meet friends at a Barnard event. Audit a class at the College. If you didn’t get a holiday letter from someone who always sends one, drop a line to check in with her. We are part of a powerful sisterhood of more than 30,000 women around the world. Connect with old friends and draw strength from that relationship or engage a friend who needs it. Contact your class networking chair, use the alumnae online directory or call the Alumnae Affairs office to find an old friend. I look forward to meeting you at a Barnard event. Please come say hello.

As ever,
Frances Sadler ’72
President of the Alumnae Association

Portrait by Elena Seibert