Honor the Past… Embrace the Future
The theme for the Reunion Weekend 2024 invited participants to “Honor the Past … Embrace the Future” and there were plenty of activities to make that happen.
Starting on Friday, May 31, activities included an overview of admissions strategies with the vice president of enrollment management, book discussions, a wine pairing event, a welcome picnic under the Big Tent, and a daisy wine bottle painting session hosted by Katie Shank ’19, ’21M, ’22M.
Saturday was just as busy and kicked off with the annual State of the College address by President Wes Fugate and the general meeting of the Alumni Association of Wilson College (AAWC). Classes then joined for the All-Alum Luncheon, where the annual processional recognized reunion milestones for classes ending in fours and nines. In the afternoon, the AAWC presented awards, and in the evening, attendees enjoyed class dinners, music, and conversation under the Big Tent. The night ended with Wilson ghost stories, narrated by Athena Varounis ’76, and some lively golf cart karaoke.
The final day focused on remembrance as Ann “Evie” Keeler Evans ’74 as presiding minister and Faye Wilson ’77 as song leader, led a moving Memorial Chapel Service titled “Walking Each Other Back Home” that not only honored those members of the community who passed away during the year, but also gave time for reflection, gratitude, and inspiration. To close the service, the alumnae choir led everyone in a hope-filled rendition of Carol King’s song, “You’ve Got a Friend.”
The AAWC Faculty Award
Presented to a faculty member who has given a minimum of 10 years of dedicated service to Wilson College.
Julie Raulli, Ph.D., professor of sociology, arrived at Wilson in 2005 for a one-year job and luckily for the College she has been here ever since. She said, “I stayed because of my remarkable colleagues and some really fabulous students.” For her, the freedom to incorporate film, podcasts, field trips, community action, and much more into her curriculum is what sets Wilson apart from other colleges and universities.
Meet the 2024 Author’s Hall of Fame Inductee Ellen Yeomans ’84
The Wilson College Author’s Hall of Fame celebrates members of the Wilson community who have made significant contributions to the literary tradition and culture of the College. Their names are added to the honorary plaque in the John Stewart Memorial Library and their books become part of the library’s special Author’s Wall collection.
Ellen Yeomans ’84 is an author who primarily writes stories for children that she hopes will help young readers understand some of life’s challenges, both large and small. Her books include Lost and Found: Remembering A Sister (2000), about the loss of a sibling, Jubilee (2004), that shares a celebratory vision of heaven, The Other Ducks (2018), a story of friendship, Some Snow Is… (2019), a lyrical tale about winter adventures, and Rubber Houses (2007), a young adult novel on love and loss. “People who write for children and young adults don’t set out to teach readers what to do about these problems. Instead, we show them another who has gone through something similar and we hold out hope for the reader that they too will get through whatever comes their way,” said Yeomans.
In 1997, Yeomans helped establish Paige’s Butterfly Run, Inc., an organization to honor her oldest daughter Paige Yeomans Arnold, who died from complications of a bone marrow transplant to treat leukemia. The organization raises money by hosting a variety of events throughout the year, including an annual 5k run. To date, it has raised over $5 million to benefit pediatric cancer care and research, as well as provide financial support for families.
Besides writing, she has taught writing courses at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, served as a regional adviser emeritus for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and taught English to Czechs, Ukrainians, and Russians while living in the Czech Republic. She earned a degree in English from Wilson and holds a Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College.
