First of all, thank you ALL for your dedication to and support of Wilson College through the absolutely unprecedented events of 2020 and 2021. It’s been a time of change for everyone and for Wilson College, too.
Finally, with the arrival of 2022 came more opportunities for us to step away from many of the restrictions imposed during the pandemic, and we began to gather in person once again.
Your AAWC Board and other alums were on campus for our Fall Weekend late September. In addition to our regular Board meetings and sessions on giving and reunion planning, we had an informational presentation and discussion with members on the proposal to update the name of the Association. We also enjoyed a wonderful fall Sunday church service at the Rocky Springs Church, followed by a brunch on campus at which President Emerita Mary-Linda Sorber Merriam Armacost, Hon. ’91, spoke, and at which it was announced that Susan Breakefield Fulton ’61 had made arrangements with the College to name the chaplaincy after Nancy Adams Besch ’48 and Elisabeth “Nan” Hudnut Clarkson ’47. The logistics of planning for our Grand Reunion required that much of our committee work be completed in advance of our scheduled Winter Retreat in January, so the committees met via Zoom. As we considered the vagaries of weather and travel at that time of year, we decided to hold our Board Meeting via Zoom then as well.
Other colleges and universities also resumed in-person gatherings, and seven alums represented Wilson College at various presidential inaugurations over this past year.
Wilson had its own Commencement Weekend in May — one without the restrictions we had last year. So we were able to invite alums to join in our traditional Blue and Silver Line for the undergraduate commencement ceremony, and we appreciate all who participated.
That weekend, we also held our Ring It Forward ceremony, at which we “forwarded” six class rings donated by alums or their families to six new owners, who included women and (finally) a man graduating that weekend, as well as our own Marybeth Famulare, Hon. ’17. This brings our total of rings forwarded through this program to 50! If you have a class ring that you no longer wear and would be willing to pass it along to a new Wilson owner, please reach out to the Alumni Relations Office.
We are finally able to gather for our own Grand Reunion in June, celebrating three cycles of reunion classes at once. We presented our awards to alums and faculty in virtual ceremonies for the previous two reunions. This year, we look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of and honoring our alums and faculty in person. Our honorees are listed in this issue of the magazine.
While being on campus is a wonderful part of the work of the AAWC (and a part made all the more appreciated by a period when we could not come here), we have other points of connection. We have researched the history of the leadership of the AAWC and are preparing a plaque to commemorate the women (to this point) who have served as its president.
STUDENT CONNECTIONS
We also have a number of programs that connect us to students. Through our Silver Lining Fund, which provides relief to students when a financial emergency arises, we gave $1,100 to eight different students over the past year. We also donated $200 in Giant gift cards to Sarah’s Cupboard, the on-campus food pantry, to augment its food distribution. We also, as always, encourage alums to bring contributions to the pantry when they visit campus or send contributions of needed items as they are able.
Our Aunt Sarah/Uncle Wilson Program continues to be a strong point of connection between alums and students, with 115 pairings as of December 2021. Our younger alums are particularly engaged in this program, highlighting the value seen by those who have experienced it as students.
We also partner with the Alumni Relations Office for things like Halloween Treats, Food for Finals, and the Senior Bash, where local alums join with those from the office to share treats with students.
Money for these activities comes from our general fundraising and through contributions of generous alums to the specific funds for these activities. Most of the fiscal activity of the Association (both income and expenses) occurs in connection with reunion weekends. This past year, there has been minimal activity, and the details are available in the Treasurer’s Report.
We have been fortunate that some alums made donations even when we could not hold reunions, and we appreciate all who supported this work through contributions made when you registered for this Grand Reunion. We also use the proceeds raised through the Amazon Smile program to support this work. If you are an Amazon shopper, please consider shopping through their Smile portal and identifying the AAWC as the charity you want to support. Finally, we get funding from the sale of the book “The College That Refused to Die: The Untold Story of Wilson College 1979- 1989: A Documentary History.”
ZOOM TIME
Not everything about pandemic life was bad — we learned about the possibilities and benefits of remote gatherings. Even as it became possible to gather in person, we realized that we could reach many alums not able to come to campus for various reasons and allow them to join in events, and we have continued to do this. We appreciate the College for continuing to make the Vespers service available as a live stream in particular. Also, the Travel Tuesdays and Wilson Authors series presented with the Alumni Relations Office over Zoom proved very popular, both during the pandemic and beyond. It was wonderful to hear about trips people have taken, learn about their experiences, and share some of our own.
In fact, the presentation made by Angela Zimmann, vice president for institutional advancement, about a trip she and her husband led to the Holy Land was so inspiring that it led to a planned trip for Wilson travelers that will take place this November!
Authors have spoken about the books they wrote, and more recently, the scope of offerings has been expanded to include discussions about other passions of Wilson alums. I mention this for several reasons. These are great sessions, and if you can find the time in your schedule (typically around lunchtime and early evening), I hope you’ll join in. Perhaps you have a story you’d like to share about your own travels, writing, research, or other passion? We’d love to work with you to do a presentation.
Finally, this is an opportunity to remind you of Wilson’s Tours and Travel program. We sponsor trips and earn a fee for each of our travelers, but we also earn a fee if a Wilson traveler books personal travel through one of the participating travel companies. Please keep this in mind when you get back to traveling!
Some people have commented that they do not get news of goings-on at the College or about these events. In this day and age, you could certainly keep yourself informed of developments and activities by checking the website or the Facebook pages on your own initiative, but you might forget or miss something. If you are not getting any mailings or emails, check your spam filter. If you asked that the College not contact you at some point in the past, please consider changing that status so we can keep you connected to what is going on at Wilson now. You can contact the Alumni Relations Office for help.
Also, if you have an idea for a presentation or event at a future reunion, for a trip we might offer through our travel program, or for a new program we might develop for the benefit of alums and/or students, speak up!
GET INVOLVED
I’d also like to invite each of you to consider getting involved in the Association. It can be a lot of fun and a wonderful chance to meet others who came to Wilson at a time other than the years you were here, to come back to campus for AAWC meetings during the year, and to come to reunions when your class is not all here. Give it some thought. If this looks like something you’d like to do, or maybe you’d like to learn more about it, just let us know that you are interested!
If getting involved in AAWC isn’t for you right now, that’s fine; we understand. But please visit the campus as often as you can, and PLEASE continue to support the College. We are in a period of great challenge, and this is a time where our support and assistance can make a huge and important difference to Wilson’s future — once again, it is time for us all to step forward and show our love of and commitment to this institution.
Respectfully submitted,
– Lynne E. DiStasio ’74 President
