Letter from the President of the AAVC

The past few months were all-Vassar-all-the-time, and what a time it was! April was a month of celebrations. We began with the Alumnae House Centennial, which was such a fabulous event, replete with a capella singers, tap dancers, jugglers, a brass band, a gorgeous poem written for the occasion by Kimberly Nguyen ’19, and over 400 people in attendance. It was an immensely joyous and festive evening that will long be remembered. Later that month we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the AAAVC at their Triennial, which was the best-attended Triennial yet, with many alums returning to campus for the first time. We kicked off the weekend with a dinner honoring Pamela Harris ’92, the recipient of the AAVC Spirit of Vassar award for her lifelong commitment to racial, economic, and gender justice. There were many other moments of celebration, panel discussions, and an extremely moving tribute and remembrance of the extraordinary Dr. June Jackson Christmas, Class of 1945-4, and one of the first openly Black graduates of Vassar.

May and June brought not just a campus bedecked with blossoms and shimmering new foliage and grass, but Commencement and Reunion, both of which were beautiful and fun. At Commencement, we welcomed almost 600 graduates to the AAVC, and celebrated them with their families at a champagne reception in the Bridge Building. And at Reunion, we greeted nearly 1,700 alums, family, and friends from 44 states and 20 countries! The AAVC Board serenaded the class of 1974 with James Brown’s “I Feel Good” as they celebrated their landmark 50th Reunion in their inimitable style. We also celebrated Stephanie Hyacinth ’84, the recipient of the AAVC’s Award for Outstanding Service to Vassar. The terrific events and panels with alums and faculty were greatly enjoyed, as were the dinners and parties held across campus under beautiful skies for the entire weekend.

It was lovely to see many of you at one or more of these events, and I hope you will continue to connect with Vassar and honor everything it has brought to your lives. Wishing you a wonderful rest of summer!

Be well,