As I embark on my journey as the new President of the Alumnae/i Association of Vassar College (AAVC), it brings me great happiness to send greetings to our more than 42,000 living alums, as well as the many others who read this publication. Alums, students, parents, faculty, staff, and more —we’re all part of this vibrant community. And I certainly count the significant others, friends, and family members of alums who are unofficially “drafted” into all things Vassar. If you know, you know …

By way of a brief introduction, I am a proud member of the Class of 1993 who lived in Davison and the THs, majored in English with correlates in women’s studies and vocal performance, and fell hard in love with the College from the moment I set foot on campus in 1989. In keeping with the ways of Gen X, I was fiercely committed to my plan of applying ONLY to Vassar in hopes of getting in via early decision. My parents gave up trying to convince me that this was not a smart plan. Luckily for me, it worked out—though like many of us, I question whether I’d get in today.

For the alums reading this letter, you may not know it, but you are a member of the AAVC. This is an extraordinary association with a unique history and structure. It was created in 1871 by alums who could not yet serve as trustees but wanted a voice in Vassar’s present and future. It operates as an independent nonprofit that closely partners with the College through Advancement. Our board members serve as advisors on many familiar initiatives like Vassar clubs, awards, the Vassar Fund, Reunion, this publication, and much more. Notably, the AAVC sends six members of our Board of Directors to serve as Vassar College Trustees. This legacy of shared governance reflects our mutual commitment to Vassar’s mission and impact.

If there is one thing I’ve learned in years of volunteering for Vassar, it’s that our alums are amazing. I’m not referring to specific jobs or awards or accomplishments, though they are often impressive. I’m talking about the joy of interacting with many different types of people from across the decades who are deeply intelligent, passionate, interested, interesting, and committed. People who care about things and who engage in the world. I am rarely bored in the company of Vassar grads.

I often envision our alum network as a Venn diagram. Circle upon circle of overlapping connections that extend ever outward. I see our mission at the AAVC as reaching further out into those circles, to offer more of our peers meaningful points of connection with the College, its students, and with each other.

So, enjoy the connection and insights offered by this issue of the magazine. Its feature on alum-related artist residencies and fellowship programs offers a spark of joy and inspiration as we come into the final weeks of summer.

With gratitude,
Anne Green ’93
AAVC President
aavcpresident@vassar.edu