mhc2010

A Message from the Class of 2010 Class Board

June 10, 2020 by mhc2010

Photo courtesy of the MHC Archives

“Every generation of Black people, up until now, has had to face the reality that no matter how hard we work we will probably not see the end of racism in our lifetimes. Yet many of us keep the faith and try to do all we can to make change now.” — Barbara Smith, in the introduction of “Home Girls: A Black Feminist Anthology” (1983)

These words from Barbara Smith ’69 – groundbreaking author, activist, and co-founding member of the Combahee River Collective – were written almost 40 years ago. Though the 1980s often feel very distant from us living in 2020, our nation continues to struggle with the same deeply entrenched anti-Black racism. It permeates all aspects of our society and manifests in how we build our cities, construct our laws, and engage with one another.

Your class board feels strongly in stating that Black Lives Matter. That the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, and thousands of other victims of police violence and racially-motivated hatred matter. The events of the last few weeks, and in reality the events of the last 400+ years, have caused irreparable harm to Black communities throughout the US and globally.

Honoring and attempting to heal this harm will not happen overnight and, as a board of volunteers, we know that our contributions will be limited to what is within our control. Luckily, we, as a class, do have control over who serves on this board, how we prioritize our class goals, and how we engage with Mount Holyoke at-large and hold the school accountable. Over the next few days, we’re going to share some of the issues that came up in our class meeting this last weekend — specifically around diversity, inclusion, and leveraging our resources.

Together, we will find a path forward for how we can make meaningful change now and in the future.

Mount Holyoke College Class of 2010 Class Board — June 10, 2020

Registration open for Reunion!

March 13, 2015 by mhc2010

The time has come to register for Reunion!

Getting ready to take our class photo back in 2012

With three months to go, now is the time to make your travel plans, connect with carpool buddies, and put together your schedule. Be sure to register by April 15th, as the price will increase by $25 after that date. Plus, if you register by April 15th, you will be entered to win one of those awesome scarves that everyone after us has been getting at graduation.

To register online, you must be a part of the online directory, but you can also register by phone by calling Luisa Tavares at 413-538-2201. And remember, we are part of Reunion II this year!

The full schedule for our class is available on the AA website, with 2010-specific events highlighted in green.

Information will be coming more regularly from this point forward, so be sure to check whichever email account you have registered with the College and follow Class of 2010 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Current Stats on 2010 Giving

March 13, 2015 by mhc2010

How are we doing?

Number of 2010 classmates that have given: 79

Participation Goal by June 30: 25%

Participation Met: 12%

Dollars Received: $3,114

Pledge Balance: $320

Total: $3,424

Thanks so much to everyone who contributed this year! 2010 did a solid job in the FebruMary Challenge. But we have a ways to go before we can meet our goal of 25% participation. Can we get there by the end of the fiscal year?

For many of us, the idea of giving money to MHC can feel a little premature. After all, most of us are still paying back loans and will continue to do so for quite some time. Additionally, we are in a stage of attending graduate school, starting families, buying homes, and all sorts of expensive stuff. But it’s important to remember that the size of the gift is not necessarily what matters – the important thing is participation. While every dollar counts so that MHC can continue to operate and provide aid to 70% of its students, the participation rate is also a very important indicator of institutional health. It even factors into our rankings in the US News and World Report, which, for better or worse, remains a big player in drawing new students to the school, as well as the kinds of grants MHC will receive.

In recent years, 40% of the 30,000 living alumnae gave to the college, raising a total of $8.7m (more on this here). While this compared favorably to our sisters at Smith and Wellesley, colleges like Amherst and Williams typically have participation rates in the 60-70% range. Of the 9,000 young alumnae, the giving rate reached 20%.

So what will your money be going to? By giving to the Mount Holyoke Fund, your money supports our enormous financial aid budget, bringing in top students regardless of income. It goes to establishing new programs like Nexus, our Curriculum to Career minor option, and keeping us on the cutting edge of technology. It funds faculty salaries so that we can attract and retain the best professors, and it also allows us to keep our buildings and grounds in good shape so that we don’t have leaky ceilings and environmentally-unfriendly buildings. At this time, tuition – the amount of money being paid by students and their families – accounts for only 59% of the operating cost of the school. That means that Mount Holyoke relies on alumnae, family, and friends, as well as grants and returns on the endowment, to cover the other 41%. And while our endowment is sizeable at $588m, we must do more with less than many of our peers, including Smith and Wellesley, whose endowments both top $1billion.

If you would like to make a gift to MHC, there are lots of ways to do so. Mail a check using the form you received recently, or use PayPal or a debit or credit card here: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/giving/givenow.html

Everyone at Mount Holyoke thanks you!

Run for Class Office!

February 27, 2015 by mhc2010

Every Reunion, class officers are elected to steward the class for the next five years. With our five-year just around the corner, it’s time for elections, which means that the Nominating Committee is seeking candidates to add to the slate. Voting will take place on the Saturday of our reunion, and all class members present will be able to vote.

But what does it really mean to be a class officer? The Alumnae Association provides these definitions for each position. If you have questions, feel free to contact any current board members to learn more. To submit your name, or that of someone whom you think would make a great leader, email mhc2010reunion@gmail.com with the subject line “Nomination.”

President:

Oversees new officers and ensures continuity from previous officers
Leads development and implementation of five-year plan for the class
Maintains regular contact with the class board and makes decisions about class activities
Works with the communications coordinator on class outreach and communications plan
Approves budget and bills for payment
Leads class reunion planning
Writes at least one class letter and calls class board meetings
Attends a reunion planning workshop prior to Reunion
Presides over the reunion class meeting and presents the class history at the Association’s formal reunion meeting
Informs the Association of class honoraries and invites them to the class social hour and dinner
Works with head class agent and Advancement Office as needed and helps to foster a positive fundraising environment
Appoints Nominating Committee chair and selects two other members
Delivers final class officer slate to the Association by Sunday of Reunion, notifies all newly elected officers, and helps with the transition of records and the treasury
Writes a letter to the class after Reunion to thank reunion organizers and announce the new class board

Vice President:

Fulfill duties as assigned by the president (duties should be outlined by class board prior to soliciting candidates for position)
Works closely with president and may assume presidential role as necessary
May chair Reunion, organize and promote mini-reunions, and write class letters

Reunion Chair(s):

Attends the Reunion Planning Workshop 18 months prior to Reunion
Organizes the class’s reunion, with assistance from the president and reunion committee
Appoints the reunion committee chairs, outlines their duties and responsibilities, consults with them frequently, follows up on plans, and makes deadlines clear
Serves as the primary contact to Alumnae Association staff
Writes or co-writes two reunion class letters—due in October and February
Develops the reunion budget with assistance of the treasurer, class board, and reunion committee
Is encouraged to observe the prior year’s reunion.

Secretary:

Preserves class records, keeps minutes of board and class meetings, and retains meeting minutes book
Supervises the collection and storage of all permanent class records and memorabilia, except for the records kept by the scribe, class agent, and treasurer (contact Archives & Special Collections at the College for advice)
Assists the executive committee with the preparation of letters and publications
Occasionally assists the president and reunion chair, as requested, in preparing a letter to the class

Scribe:

Gathers, verifies, and prepares class news items, which are forwarded to the Alumnae Quarterly class notes editor four times a year. See the Scribe’s Guide.
Maintains a file of classmate correspondence and news
Coordinates with president and communications coordinator to solicit news and accomplishments from classmates
Notifies Alumnae Information Services of classmate address changes
Notifies Alumnae Information Services of the death of a classmate and arranges for the publication of a tribute. News of a death must be verified by a dated newspaper clipping and/or a letter from a relative. A personal tribute by a classmate who knew the deceased is desirable, but the scribe may also opt to contact a family member for a tribute.
Appoints regional assistants, as necessary, to relay news from different regions

Treasurer:

Maintains permanent, accurate records of all class funds, and transfers them to her successor at the end of her term
Establishes and maintains bank account. See treasury guidelines.
Completes and submits an Annual Financial Report (Form C) to the Alumnae Association by July 31 each year
Collects dues authorized by the class. (A minimum of $35.00 for every five-year period is recommended, although many classes ask $35 to $75 for a five-year period.)
Records and promptly deposits all receipts
Promptly pays all bills approved by the class president (approval may be indicated via email, attached to the paid bill, and filed)
Reconciles bank statements on a monthly basis
Sends financial reports to the president at least every six months (format should match the Annual Financial Report)
Attends class board meetings or provides written accounting reports
Transfers the treasury and records to the new class treasurer by September 15 following Reunion
Schedules meeting with new treasurer to update her on the state of the class treasury
Has books reviewed by another class officer or someone appointed by the president at least once every five years. See treasury guidelines.
Arranges to have sufficient reserve funds available preceding Reunion, so that bills may be paid promptly for expenses incurred before reunion fees are paid
Deposits all checks for class fees and pays all reunion bills
Brings the class checkbook to Reunion to reimburse volunteers as needed
Settles balance due to the Alumnae Association immediately after receipt of bills
Reports on reunion finances to the class president and the incoming class treasurer by August following Reunion

Communications:

Creates, maintains, and updates the class website and/or other class social media channels (may require a co-coordinator depending on volume)
Works with other class officers, and the Association as needed, to market upcoming events and activities to classmates
Attends class board meetings
Aims to increase engagement and communication among class members
Possesses basic skills/knowledge of photography, photo editing, web design and maintenance, and/or social media

Head Class Agent:

Reports to MHC Advancement Office
Responsible for class fundraising goal to The Mount Holyoke Fund each year
Motivates and manages team of class agents, Cornerstone callers, and reunion gift callers
Appoints planned giving chair in consultation with the Advancement Office after 20th reunion

Nominating Committee:

Nominating Committee consists of five members: three elected by the membership at Reunion and two appointed by the president
The president appoints the chair (recommended to be one of the three elected members)
Nominating Committee selects candidates for elected class officers and submits official slate for class elections
Chair contacts all committee members, makes assignments of positions to be filled, sets up timeline, and prepares slate for distribution to class prior to Reunion
Chair sets up a conference call no later than early fall of the reunion cycle to start the process

Call for Class Notes

August 22, 2014 by mhc2010

This is how I look when I write to the AQ.

Have you won a Pulitzer prize recently?

Discovered a new planet?

Eradicated a major disease?

Been elected to Congress?

Well, neither have we, and we are so totally okay with that. And regardless, we still like each other and want to know what’s going on in each other’s lives. So submit a line or two to the next Class Notes and let us know how you are. Whether you’re relocating, starting a new job, going to school, doing a fun project, meeting up with MHC friends, or just looking to get in touch with people, submit a one or two sentence blurb! Our fantastic scribe Aviva Elzufon compiles everything she receives and sends it in to the Quarterly four times a year.

Deadlines for each submission are

January 16
May 1
August 3
November 3

and can be sent to scribe10 @ mtholyoke.edu.

The other great thing about Class Notes are that the Class Board occasionally (read: every issue) puts in an announcement about Reunions or other stuff that’s going on. So stay tuned!

The FebruMary Challenge is Here

January 31, 2014 by mhc2010

Reunion President’s Cup.

Won it on the first try.

The 2013 Young Alumnae Challenge.

Bam.

2010 Challenge for the New Year.

Surpassed.

FebruMary Young Alumnae Challenge?

We got this.

Class of 2010, let’s be real – we kick ass when it comes to these kinds of things. Are we just that much more competitive? More committed? More obsessed with Mary Lyon? I don’t know. But I know I just love that every time MHC throws a challenge at us, we don’t just meet it, we go above and beyond. It’s a nice reputation we’re earning, don’t you think?

You probably just found out about this FebruMary thing coming up, and your first thought was that this is a weird pun for a kind of insignificant birthday. I know I can’t stop plugging it into the Subway commercial song. But then your second thought was, I will absolutely give something so we can WIN! And so current students can get financial aid and the lights can stay on and stuff.

But silliness aside, you know how important it is to give back to the place that gave us so much. There’s a whole page about it here on our site. To find out just how this new challenge works, the rules are all laid out for us. Make a gift on February 10th (that’s 10 for 2010). The class with the most participants (NOT the most dollars!) wins a matching gift of $1,837. If you have the means and desire to make a Cornerstone Gift, it will be matched, too.

Already gave this fiscal year? Well, thanks! You’re awesome! Feel free to do it again on February 10th! Thinking about it, but haven’t gotten around to it yet? February 10th is a great day to do it! Call your old moving group. Tweet it wildly. Snapchat a picture of Mary Lyon to every 2010er in your address book. Spread the word about February 10th, and give back to MHC.

Anne Burley’s Adventures in Shanghai

January 31, 2014 by mhc2010

Anne Burley‘s Adventures in Shanghai
By Elizabeth DuMont-McCaffrey

Anne Burley and I met for drinks on Dagu Road in Shanghai at a bar that was spray painted with Christmas decorations and broadcasting Fight Club on a projector. She lives a few blocks down the road in Jing An, a central Shanghai neighborhood filled with expats.

Anne has been in China for a year and a half and has loved her experience so far. The pollution is the only downside of living in Shanghai for Anne, otherwise she enjoys stepping out of her comfort zone and exploring a new place. In Shanghai, Anne works as an SAT teacher at a relatively new company called New Pathway.

When Anne isn’t working or gallivanting around Shanghai, she is studying Chinese, reading about China (she recently read Postcard from Tomorrow Square) or watching Walking Dead. According to her friend, Liheng, Anne has a pretty good accent in Chinese and is excellent at karaoke. Since I have heard Anne sing karaoke, I admittedly have doubts about her Chinese.

China isn’t Anne’s first adventure. Since graduation, Anne has taught on the French Riviera and organized events at the French Embassy in DC.

Directly after graduating, Anne did the TAPIF Program, a program sponsored by the French government to host English teachers in France. She stayed for one academic year teaching English, hanging out on the beach and drinking French wine.

After France, Anne moved back to DC, her hometown. Her brother was doing a gap year before college so her whole family was temporarily reunited. While in DC, Anne worked as an event coordinator for the French Embassy. It was exciting because she got to meet with the French Ambassador and his wife frequently, but also a very stressful job.

Even though Anne is doing all of this cool stuff, she can’t help but miss good old MHC. Anne especially misses spending time in the library stacks and dessert dilemma at Prospect. She is super excited to come back to campus for our 5 year reunion. At our 2 year, Anne roomed with Rena Schwarz, Tory Cwyk and Aviva Elzufon and she is looking forward to catching up with them as well as many other friends and classmates.

Anne is not sure what the future holds. For the time being, she plans to stay in Shanghai and learn a bit more Chinese. I wouldn’t be surprised if our next interview is across the world.

A Chat with Leah Dion

December 5, 2013 by mhc2010

A Chat with Leah Dion
By Elizabeth DuMont-McCaffrey

Leah and I had the chance to catch up on a phone interview. As soon as we began our chat, memories flooded back to me from our first year together in 1837 Hall. It’s amazing to think that we started our time at MHC seven whole years ago. Since our graduation in 2010, Leah has accomplished quite a bit!

Directly after Mount Holyoke, Leah went on to get her Masters in biomedical sciences at Midwestern University near Chicago. She then moved to Marlborough, MA where she now lives and works as a biocompatibility scientist at Boston Scientific. Basically, Leah assesses medical devices for any potential hazards which means she’s responsible for the safety of medical devices used across the globe. She loves the fact that she learns new things at work every day and gets to utilize a lot of knowledge she obtained at MHC.

“Oh my God, everything,” was Leah’s response when I asked her what she missed about Mount Holyoke. She loved having so many amazing women all on one campus and finds it challenging to keep up with all of her friends. She loved her coursework and specifically mentioned The Brain/Mind, a class taught by Professor Joseph Cohen. Leah thought this course perfectly combined her love of biology and interest in psychology—her major and minor at Mount Holyoke.

Leah is currently reading the World According to Garp by John Irving. Her friend and fellow Moho, Becca Gauthier who now attends Harvard Law School, recommended the book but so far it is a bit boring and Leah hasn’t really gotten into it. She describes what she is watching lately as “the trashiest, most terrible TV.” It’s not that bad though. She loves Modern Family.

When I asked Leah if any information was missing from our interview, her sassy reply was, “well, I am dating someone.” She is dating Jeremiah, a UMASS Amherst graduate and engineer in Shrewsbury, MA. Recently they took a walk down memory lane: Leah showed Jeremiah around MHC and Jeremiah gave Leah a tour of his life at UMASS. They also visited a Korean restaurant in Hadley that happened to be both of their favorite when they were in school.

It’s unfortunate that our conversation was just a phone call. But, since Leah is based in MA, she has no excuse to miss our 5-year Reunion, which is closer than you think. I look forward to actually catching up with her then and reconnecting with my entire first year crew from 1837.

Reunion Planning is Underway

October 2, 2013 by mhc2010

Reunion co-chairs Ariel Hahn and Symone New met with 2010 Treasurer Nikki Chambers and Communications co-chair Cathy Ilowite this past weekend at the Reunion Planning Workshop, where they attended sessions on event planning and management, met with leaders from other alum classes, and brainstormed for our five-year (can you believe it??) reunion coming up in May 2015.

They also created a new Instagram account (mhc_2010) to accompany our Twitter (mhc2010) and Facebook accounts. Check it out!

No Greatness Comes Without Risk: Carycruz Miriam Bueno

August 26, 2013 by mhc2010

No Greatness Comes Without Risk: Carycruz Miriam Bueno
By Natasha Payés

Everyone had a hand in crafting her name. From her Indian-descent grandfather to her older sister Cruz, it was a familial effort in carefully selecting the name Carycruz Miriam Bueno. Combining her grandmothers’ names—Caridad and Cruz—which means charity and the cross, Cary’s grandfather chose Miriam, the older sister of the prophet Moses. As for her last name…well Cary must be inherently good. For many of us, it would not be an easy task to live up to such a name that sounds like it should be reserved for the Mother Teresas in our world; however, it seems as if Cary does this with ease.

As a self-identified Afro-Latina, Cary straddles two cultures, two languages and two worlds. The Dominican pitted against the American culture; the Spanish versus the English; the U.S. nationality and the immigrant experience. When she’s in the Dominican Republic visiting family, fellow Dominicans detect and point out her “American” accent. When Cary is in New York, she’s often asked, “No really, but what are you?” For some reason, her mocha complexion, her long tresses and the ability to speak Spanish throw people for a loop. “It’s a catch 22,” said Cary, “I’m neither here nor there.”

Though it’s cumbersome to balance all of her communities and identities, Cary’s insight and her Mount Holyoke education help her bridge communities and tackle some of the most complicated issues plaguing our nation.

As a rising high school senior, Carycruz had her sights set on the Ivy Leagues: Harvard, Yale, Brown—you know the type. But her sister who was studying at the University of Massachusetts Amherst told her about these amazing schools in the Pioneer Valley that were only for women.

“Cary,” said Cruz, “this is the place where you need to be.”

Although skeptical at the thought of attending a women’s college, Cary trusted her sister’s opinion and applied to Mount Holyoke and Smith. Choosing which admitted students’ weekend was a challenge—Mount Holyoke’s and Smith’s fell on the same weekend—but she chose MHC. After befriending some cool gals like Natasha Payés, Geraldine Rodriguez, and Kristin Tucker, she realized that if MHC was anything like her visit, she wanted to be there.

Fall of 2006, Carycruz jumped right in. She joined the Association of Pan African Unity and La Unidad and became the social chair, treasurer, five college representative and historian for both organizations.

“As a Black Latina, I felt very connected to both organizations and I wanted to bridge those connections,” said Cary.

Not only was it important to Cary to make meaningful connections between the two groups, but also by being a member it was her way to pay homage to those that came before her. “A lot of alums fought for us to be here…we deserved to be there [at MHC].”

When asked about classes that left lasting impressions, she joked, “Well it wasn’t my probability class.” Interestingly, it was a course she took to fulfill a distribution requirement her senior year titled Immigration Nation.

“As a senior, I thought I knew and learned everything, but that class taught me about laws and theories that have shaped our American society. I realized that there’s still more work to do.”

And she knew one area that certainly needed more work: our American education system.

Following graduation, she was placed in Hawaii as a 7^th grade special education math teacher for Teach For America.

Her days began at 5 AM and concluded around 12 AM or later.

She was tasked with teaching her students 7^th grade math, but many of them had learning disabilities.

Some students were at 5^th grade level math, others were at the 2^nd grade level.

How would she make 7^th grade math accessible to all of her students who all have varying degrees of comprehension?

The pressure was on and at times Carycruz questioned why she was doing this work, but her doubts would always disappear whenever her students understood the material and Cary could see incremental improvements. Though she realizes that Teach For America is not the answer to upheave the U.S. educational system, it is an attempt to chip away at the flaws and work with the resources that they have.

Now that she is three years out of college, Cary is going back to her original plan: earning her PhD in economics. With a full-ride to Georgia State University, she plans to link her passions for economics and education in hopes to solve social issues through an economic lens.

With crafting such a name, Cary’s family set the tone for what she would experience and how she would use her gifts in this world. She would need compassion and love for others; she would need to be bold and courageous like Miriam; and she would need to take up the cross during times of darkness and uncertainty. Or as Cary would sum up in a less flowery, but powerful way: “No greatness comes without risk.”