Tea x Talk  at the home of Athena Kashyap ‘91
L to R. Lena Miyamoto, Melody Wood, Eleanor Chang, Diane Jones Lowrey, Athena Kashyap

Hello Northern California Alums! We hope you had a nice long weekend to honor Labor Day and are ready for the start of another great month. In August we had a second Decades Meet-Up at the home of Athena Kashyap ‘91. The idea for Decades Meet-Ups came from club members, not the board! We love hearing about your ideas and getting your feedback. It’s been a while since the board surveyed our membership on event interest and general feedback. We’d appreciate it if you could complete this brief survey. We welcome your honest feedback and will use it to shape events that support our large and diverse NorCal alums. 

Interested in hosting your own Decades Meet-Up? We’re looking forward to having several, anywhere (and everywhere) within our Northern California Region over the next year. Email us with any questions or interest. 

The club has several events coming up for the remainder of 2023, including a Mountain Day hike and ice cream gatherings across our region. The board will have members hosting ice cream meetups in Sacramento, San Francisco and the East Bay. If you are interested in gathering in your region (Napa, Eureka, Tahoe, etc) please contact the board and we can help promote and get the word out. 

Pay Your Dues

Our new fiscal year has started! You can pay your dues for the 2023-2024 year or even become a Lifetime Member and never pay dues again! All dues payments and donations may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law – the Club is classified as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization – and help keep our volunteer-run Club afloat.    

Join the Board

We welcome alums from our entire Northern California region, not just the Bay Area. Our Board meetings are via Zoom, so location truly doesn’t matter. We would love to have representation from throughout our incredibly large region! 

Please peruse the board descriptions and reach out to us by email. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives, new ideas, and look forward to hearing from you.  

Check out our upcoming events below. As always, please reach out if there is programming you’d like to see, an event you’d like to host, or you simply want to say hello. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and join our Club’s Facebook Page!

Our very best wishes,

– The Board   

Upcoming Events:

Friendly reminder that there is a virtual MHC event for the Common Read, Disability Visibility, on Sept. 7th, 4p-5p PST / 7p-8p EST. Register here. This event is through the college!

NorCal Book Club – Arsenic and Adobo, “The first book in a new culinary cozy series full of sharp humor and delectable dishes–one that might just be killer,” by Filipino-American writer Mia P. Manansala
When: Wednesday, September 20, 2023; 7:00-8:00 pm PT
Where: Join us and register for the event on Zoom.
Cost: Free. This event is open to all alums.
Point person: Hannah Fairbanks ’03. Please note that virtual book club meetings will now start at 7:00p PST. 

Sustainability Tea – Calling all alums in sustainability! As we all know, “sustainability” is a broad topic, so if you self-identify as working in the field, whether it’s corporate sustainability, biomaterials, social entrepreneurship, climate adaptation, permaculture, sustainable finance or anything in between, come and join the conversation!
When: Saturday, September 23th, 2023; 3 to 5 pm
Where: Register on Eventbrite; Ann Blake ’85 will host a tea in her beautiful garden in Alameda and address will be provided upon registration.
Cost: Free, please register on Eventbrite
Requests: Light hors d’oeuvres, iced tea, and sweet treats will be served— participants are welcome to bring their own favorite beverage or snack to add to the festivities.
Host: Ann Blake ’85
Board Member point person: Eleanor Chang ‘78, chang.eleanor@gmail.com
Please RSVP by September 21th

Jane Hammond ‘72. Solo exhibit at Berggruen Gallery
When: October 20th, 2023 (tentative date)
Where: Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco, CA. 

Jane Hammond ‘72 will be having a solo exhibition of her Botanical Collages at the Berggruen Gallery in San Francisco from October 19 – November 22. Join us as Jane gives a walk-thru, talks about her work and hosts a Q and A with some wine and other beverages. More info coming soon, save the date! 

Barbara Creed – “Will The Court Come to Order?” 
When: Thursday, November 16th, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. PST 
Where: Zoom. Info coming in October newsletter 
Cost: Free but registration is required.

Join us on Zoom as Barbara Creed presents her new program, “Will the Court Come To Order?” It will focus on the significant decisions of the Court’s current term and preview the important issues the Court will decide in the term that begins in October 2023.  

_____________________________________________

Virtual Programming from the Alum Association

The College is offering a range of virtual programming and opportunities to connect. Learn more on the AA Events page.

_______________________________________________

Let’s Get Social!

To hear the latest about our programming in-between our monthly newsletters, we encourage you to connect with the Club on one or more forms of social media. We hope to see you at an event soon! 

• Join our Club’s Facebook Page 
• Follow us on Instagram – don’t forget to tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal
• Share resources, your virtual events, and more, directly in the Club Facebook Group
• Bookmark our Club website
• Update your contact info in the Alum Directory using these instructions
• Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn
• Email us if you’d like to get further involved with the Club or share feedback 
• Learn more about and consider joining the Board 

July Decades Brunch with alums from the classes of ‘66, ‘67, ‘70 (2), ‘79 (2), ‘81 and ‘85. 
Hosted at the home of Ann Berkey ‘70 (far left)

Hello fellow alums, and hello August! With the record breaking heat of the last month we hope you are staying cool and safe. 

Luckily, the heat did not hinder our first Decades Meet-Up. In late July, alums who graduated prior to 1990 met at the home of Ann Berkey ‘70 for brunch, coffee, and connection. Our next Decades Meet-Up is happening on August 20th in Noe Valley, San Francisco at the home of Athena Kashyap ‘91. Athena’s Tea x Talk is open to all decades, and alums from the early 1990s are especially encouraged to attend. Thank you Ann and Athena for opening your homes. 

The idea for Decades Meet-Ups came from club members, not the board! We love hearing about your ideas and getting your feedback. It’s been a while since the board surveyed our membership on event interest and general feedback. We’d appreciate it if you could complete this brief survey. We welcome your honest feedback and will use it to shape events that support our large and diverse NorCal alums. 

Pay Your Dues

Our new fiscal year has started! You can pay your dues for the 2023-2024 year or even become a Lifetime Member and never pay dues again! All dues payments and donations may be  tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law – the Club is classified as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization – and help keep our volunteer-run Club afloat.    

Join the Board

We welcome alums from our entire Northern California region, not just the Bay Area. Our Board meetings are via Zoom, so location truly doesn’t matter. We would love to have representation from throughout our incredibly large region! 

Please peruse the board descriptions and reach out to us by email. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives, new ideas, and look forward to hearing from you.  

Check out our upcoming events below. As always, please reach out if there is programming you’d like to see, an event you’d like to host, or you simply want to say hello. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and join our Club’s Facebook Page!

Our very best wishes,

– The Board   

Upcoming Events:

Tea x Talk
When: August 20th, 2023; 3:00 pm- 5:00 p.m.
Where: Noe Valley, San Francisco. Address will be provided upon registration.
Space limit: 25 alums
Cost: Free. This event is open to all alums, and classes from the early 1990s are especially encouraged to attend!
Requests: Attendees are asked to bring drinks (tea, soft drinks, wine) or nibbles to share. Athena is generously providing some wine, tea, and lots of snacks to get us started!
Host: Athena Kashyap ’91
Board Member point person: Eleanor Chang ‘78, chang.eleanor@gmail.com
RSVP by August 15th on Eventbrite

Tea, snacks and wine! Pump yourself up for an amazing tea party to celebrate friendship, talk about anything MHC, and more! Accessibility/Directions: Street parking is available for those who drive. It is also accessible by public transportation via BART or MUNI. Please register for details, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support arranging a carpool!

Interested in hosting your own Decades Meet-Up? We’re looking forward to having several, anywhere (and everywhere) within our Northern California Region over the next year. Meet-ups can happen at your home or any public space. Each host decides on the format and theme, as well as the number of guests they are comfortable with for the gathering.​ Small groups are encouraged for personal interaction. If they become a continuous occurrence, even better! Email us with any questions or interest. 

NorCal Book Club –  Disability Visibility, an “urgent, galvanizing collection of contemporary essays by disabled people” edited by Alice Wong, which is this year’s MHC Common Read
When: Wednesday, August 23, 2023; 6:00-7:00 pm PT
Where: Join us and register for the event on Zoom.
Cost: Free. This event is open to all alums.
Point person: Hannah Fairbanks ’03
There will be a virtual MHC event for the Common Read on Sept. 7. We encourage you to attend if possible. 

_____________________________________________

Virtual Programming from the Alum Association

The College is offering a range of virtual programming and opportunities to connect. Learn more on the AA Events page.

_______________________________________________

Let’s Get Social!

To hear the latest about our programming in-between our monthly newsletters, we encourage you to connect with the Club on one or more forms of social media. We hope to see you at an event soon! 

• Join our Club’s Facebook Page 
• Follow us on Instagram – don’t forget to tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal 
• Share resources, your virtual events, and more, directly in the Club Facebook Group
• Bookmark our Club website
• Update your contact info in the Alum Directory using these instructions
• Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn
• Email us if you’d like to get further involved with the Club or share feedback 
• Learn more about and consider joining the Board 

June 10, 2023. Annual Meeting 

Dear fellow alums,

Happy Summer!! We hope you are getting some sun, rest, family and friend time, and most importantly you time. 

Thank you to those who joined us on June 10th in Oakland for our annual meeting. It was great to see familiar and new faces, network, hear from Ann Blake ’85 and Natasha Mohanty ’03 about some of their life and career transitions, and share favorite Mount Holyoke memories. 

Coming up later this month, Ann Berkey ’70 will be hosting a brunch at her home in Oakland for Golden Alums (graduating classes before 1990). Can’t get to Oakland on July 29th? We are looking for additional alums to host in-person get-togethers in July (or later this year). Being in-person with fellow Mount Holyoke alums is a special energy and we hope you will contact us if you’re interested. Seeking hosts in the following areas: San Francisco, Marin, Sacramento, Sonoma, Napa, East Bay, Peninsula & South Bay​ (in conjunction with Peninsula Club). 

Pay Your Dues

Our new fiscal year has started! You can pay your dues for the 2023-2024 year or even become a Lifetime Member and never pay dues again! All dues payments and donations may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by the law – the Club is classified as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization – and help keep our volunteer-run Club afloat.
   

Join the Board

We welcome alums from our entire Northern California region, not just the Bay Area. Our Board meetings are via Zoom, so location truly doesn’t matter. We would love to have representation from throughout our incredibly large region! Our new term began on July 1, 2023. 

Please peruse the board descriptions and reach out to us by email. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives, new ideas, and look forward to hearing from you.  

Check out our upcoming events below. As always, please reach out if there is programming you’d like to see, an event you’d like to host, or you simply want to say hello. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and join our Club’s Facebook Page!

Our very best wishes,

– The Board   

Upcoming Events:

NorCal Book Club –  Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley

When: Wednesday, July 19, 2023; 6:00-7:00 pm PT
Where: Join us on Zoom.
Cost: Free. This event is open to all alums.
Point person: Hannah Fairbanks ’03 

Brunch: Fun, Friendship, & Food with our Golden Alums
When: Saturday, July 29, 2023; 11:00 am- 2:00 p.m.
Where: Oakland Hills. Address will be provided upon registration
Space limit: 15 people
Point person: Ann Berkey ’70. Email: ann.berkey@gmail.com

In person gatherings are back again! We are looking for a few alums to host a brunch or lunch during the month of July for Golden Alums (graduating classes prior to 1990) to engage in relaxed conversations over good food and camaraderie. If there are any alums who are interested in hosting these brunches, please email the MHC NorCal Club if you are interested in hosting!

Our first brunch will be held Saturday, July 29 hosted by Ann Berkey ’70 in Oakland. Ann will provide an entree salad, iced tea, and lemonade. Attendees are asked to bring: baguette, breadsticks or rolls, fruit, potato or grain salads, deviled eggs, veggies and dips, cheese assortment, desserts, sparkling water, or special drinks. Register via Eventbrite.

Accessibility: Guests can also take BART to Rockridge and then share a Lyft or Uber to Ann’s home (about $10 and it takes about 10 minutes). House is on a hillside with lots of stairs to the front door and more to the backyard terrace, so those coming should be able to climb stairs.

Can’t get to Oakland on July 29th? We are looking for additional alums in the following locations to host in person get-togethers in August and beyond:

-San Francisco/East BayMarin/Sacramento/Sonoma/Napa

-Peninsula & South Bay​ (in conjunction with Peninsula Club)

Format & Number of guests: Each host decides on the format and theme as well as the number of guests they are comfortable with for the gathering. ​ Small groups are encouraged for personal interaction. 

_____________________________________________

Virtual Programming from the Alum Association

The College is offering a range of virtual programming and opportunities to connect. Learn more on the AA Events page.

_______________________________________________

Let’s Get Social!

To hear the latest about our programming in-between our monthly newsletters, we encourage you to connect with the Club on one or more forms of social media. We hope to see you at an event soon! 

• Join our Club’s Facebook Page 
• Follow us on Instagram – don’t forget to tag your photos from our events with #mhcnorcal 
• Share resources, your virtual events, and more, directly in the Club Facebook Group
• Bookmark our Club website
• Update your contact info in the Alum Directory using these instructions
• Connect with our growing professional network on LinkedIn
• Email us if you’d like to get further involved with the Club or share feedback 
• Learn more about and consider joining the Board 

Alums in class order 🙂Keenan ’13, April ‘12, Katie ‘05, & Kate ‘81

Dear fellow alums,

We hope you enjoyed the long Memorial Day weekend and were all able to spend some fun time with family and friends!

May started with a gathering at the Bay Area Book Festival and ended with a nice hike around Lafayette Reservoir. We thoroughly enjoyed gathering outdoors and connecting with new and familiar faces!

We hope to see more of you face-to-face at some of our upcoming events, including our annual meeting on Saturday, June 10! We have two amazing alum speakers for our meeting—Ann Blake ’85, executive director of the Jenifer Altman Foundation, and Natasha Mohanty ’03, head of Engineering, Checkout Experiences at Stripe—who will talk about life and career transitions. You don’t want to miss it! If you haven’t done so already, we invite you to reserve your spot via Eventbrite.

Pay Your Dues

The Club’s fiscal year ends on June 30, so there’s still time to pay your dues for the 2022-2023 year or even become a Lifetime Member and never pay dues again! All dues payments and donations are tax-deductible and help keep our volunteer-run Club afloat.

Join the Board

It’s also your last chance to join our fantastic board for the 2023-2024 fiscal year! We welcome alums from our entire Northern California region, not just the Bay Area. Our Board meetings are via Zoom even in non-pandemic times, so location truly doesn’t matter. We would love to have representation from throughout our incredibly large region!

The next term begins July 1, 2023. Please peruse the board descriptions and reach out to us by email. We’re always looking for fresh perspectives, new ideas, and look forward to hearing from you.

Check out all our upcoming events below. As always, please reach out if there is programming you’d like to see, an event you’d like to host, or you simply want to say hello. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and join our Club’s Facebook Page!

Our very best wishes,

– The Board

Upcoming Events:

MHC NorCal Club Annual Meeting
When: Saturday, June 10, 2023; 1:00 -3:00 p.m.
Where: Oakstop

1721 Broadway, 201, Oakland, CA 94612
Cost: Free
Point person: Katie Wynen ‘05

Please join us on Saturday, June 10, 1 PM – 3 PM in Oakland* to connect and celebrate our community of alums over strawberries and champagne, and for a special discussion: Life and Career Transitions: In-Conversation with Ann Blake ‘85 and Natasha Mohanty ‘03. Register via Eventbrite.

*Remote access available for alums unable to attend in-person in Oakland.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email the Mount Holyoke Club of Northern California Board.

Doggy Beach Day
When: Saturday, June 17, 2023; 9:30 am
Where: Maverick’s Beach, Half Moon Bay
Cost: Free
Point person: Diana Martinez; marti20d.

Join us for a day at the beach with your pup! If your dog loves the beach and enjoys meeting new dogs and people, join us at Maverick’s Beach in Half Moon Bay. Bring water for you and your pup, and any other beach gear you may require. Register via Eventbrite.

You can find directions to the parking lot and more about the beach from this link: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/mavericks-beach-trail?search=true