Dear fellow alums,

Happy New Year! We made it to 2022, after quite a draining year. Although 2020 gave us many challenges we hoped would diminish, 2021 proved difficult as well. Between continuing to navigate a global pandemic, wildfires that still haunted much of our membership, along with personal and professional hurdles, we have all wrestled with much this last year. And yet. Despite the many challenges we faced, the Board is happy to have been able to connect with many of you online and, finally, at a few in-person events, starting with a joyful face-to-face gathering over ice cream for Mountain Day 2021. We also met in person for a private tour of the Joan Mitchell exhibition at SFMOMA as well as enjoyed a lively holiday gathering for Virtual Vespers at the home of Eleanor Chang ’78. We have connected via Zoom with alums from all over the Bay Area and beyond—an unmistakable bonus of online events. We are looking forward to turning the page on the year and have a fantastic slate of events planned for 2022. 

You can look forward to the continuation of our book club where we read books by BIPOC authors to a cookalong for Lunar New Year to our monthly mentorship group led by Jean Han ’87, to a special discussion about understanding the work of the Supreme Court with attorney and SCOTUS expert Barbara Creed. Keep your eyes peeled for lots of chances to be in community with NorCal alums in the coming year. 

Boundary Shift Completion

We are pleased to share that after working with the Club of the Peninsula to modify both Clubs’ boundaries in order to better serve the MHC alums who are nearest to our centers, the Alum Association has completed the coding work required to make this change. This meant aligning part of the northern tip of the peninsula with the NorCal Club and expanding the Peninsula Club’s eastern border to Nevada. Both clubs will continue to cross-promote each others’ events on social media so that all members stay aware of all that is happening across both our Clubs’ large territory. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns about the boundary shift.  

Bylaws Update & Meeting

For the first time since the 1970s, the NorCal Club has updated its Bylaws and Mission Statement. Please feel free to look them over and share any thoughts with the Club via email and/or attend a Bylaws discussion meeting on February 15th (register here). We’re looking forward to finalizing and voting on our new Bylaws in Spring 2022!

Pay Your Dues 

Many thanks to those of you who paid your dues and/or become Lifetime Members in 2021. Your annual dues payments and donations enable our volunteer-run Club to host a diverse slate of events and programs throughout the year. Dues pay for renting event venues, food and beverages when applicable, guest speakers, creating and sending care packages to local first-year and transfer students, offsetting costs of certain events, subsidizing costs for those who normally wouldn’t attend because of lack of funds, and much more.  

If you want to pay membership dues for the 2021-2022 year or become a Lifetime Member, please do so here: MHC Club of Northern CA Membership Dues. If you prefer to pay by check, please email us. Additionally, if your company offers corporate matching or incentives for volunteering or being a part of a non-profit organization, we are happy to work with them to find ways to financially support our Club.

Let’s Connect

As we continue planning for 2022, please share with us what types of events, programs, and resources may best support you at this time or any which you may wish to offer. Email us or fill out this form to get started. 

We’d love to showcase members of our alum community on social media. If you’re interested in sharing your story, let us know here.

Our very best wishes,

– The Board   

Dear fellow alums,

The Club had a busy November. The NorCal book club met and mapped out its books for the next five meetings—check out the selections and meeting dates in our Events section. We hope to read with more of you in 2022! The monthly mentorship group had a deep discussion about money, with topics ranging from tips on buying a house in the Bay Area to paying for graduate school. We hiked along the spectacular Seaview Trail in the East Bay and took in the incomparable Joan Mitchell exhibition at SFMOMA. We’re looking forward to seeing you for the Club’s holiday events this month, both in person and online.

Pay Your Dues 

Many thanks to those of you who have already paid your dues and/or become Lifetime Members. Your annual dues payments and donations enable our volunteer-run Club to host a diverse slate of events and programs throughout the year. Dues pay for renting event venues, food and beverages when applicable, guest speakers, creating and sending care packages to local first-year and transfer students, offsetting costs of certain events, subsidizing costs for those who normally wouldn’t attend because of lack of funds, and much more.  

If you want to pay membership dues for the 2021-2022 year or become a Lifetime Member, please do so here: MHC Club of Northern CA Membership Dues. If you prefer to pay by check, please email us. Additionally, if your company offers corporate matching or incentives for volunteering or being a part of a non-profit organization, we are happy to work with them to find ways to financially support our Club.

Let’s Connect

As we continue planning for 2022, please share with us what types of events, programs, and resources may best support you at this time or any which you may wish to offer. Email us or fill out this form to get started. 

We’d love to showcase members of our alum community on social media. If you’re interested in sharing your story, let us know here.

Our very best wishes,

– The Board   

Dear fellow alums,

It was wonderful seeing some of you outdoors and in person at the fall hike in Palo Alto along with members of the Club of the Peninsula. Don’t miss our final hike coming up this Saturday November 6 in the East Bay (details below!). We also loved having an in-depth discussion at our Monthly Mentoring Group about pivoting. The deep conversations covering hard topics have been valuable and illuminating. Please join us on the first Tuesday of every month for continued support and connection. On November 2, we’ll be talking about our complex relationship with money. 

We’re looking forward to seeing you in person or online and building more connections during our final events of 2021. Take a look at our upcoming event offerings below.

Pay Your Dues 

Many thanks to those of you who have already paid your dues and/or become Lifetime Members. Your annual dues payments and donations enable our volunteer-run Club to host a diverse slate of events and programs throughout the year. Dues pay for renting event venues, food and beverages when applicable, guest speakers, creating and sending care packages to local first-year and transfer students, offsetting costs of certain events, subsidizing costs for those who normally wouldn’t attend because of lack of funds, and much more.  

If you want to pay membership dues for the 2021-2022 year or become a Lifetime Member, please do so here: MHC Club of Northern CA Membership Dues. If you prefer to pay by check, please email us. Additionally, if your company offers corporate matching or incentives for volunteering or being a part of a non-profit organization, we are happy to work with them to find ways to financially support our Club.

Let’s Connect

As we continue planning for 2022, please share with us what types of events, programs, and resources may best support you at this time or any which you may wish to offer. Email us or fill out this form to get started. 

We’d love to showcase members of our alum community on social media. If you’re interested in sharing your story, let us know here.

Our very best wishes,

– The Board   

(Alums celebrate Mountain Day in person and virtually on Sept. 30, 2021)

Dear fellow alums,

It’s been wonderful connecting with so many of you these last couple of months. At the end of August, our Uncommon Alums, Uncommon Paths event series featured Environmental & Public Health Consultant Dr. Ann Blake ’85 who shared stories of her incredible professional journey and lifelong dedication to environmental justice and creating change. Her trailblazing career as a woman and a scientist was truly inspiring. 

In September, we gathered via Zoom for an intimate discussion centered around the topic “Is it Worth It?” at our Monthly Mentorship Group, hosted by Jean Han ’87. This is an ongoing series, so please join us on the first Tuesday of every month to continue deepening the dialogue. The next meeting (October 5 – register here) will focus on pivoting industries or positions. Come share what’s worked and what hasn’t.

And just last Thursday, we celebrated Mountain Day with an in-person get-together at Hometown Creamery in San Francisco as well as a live online meetup via Zoom. Thanks to our hosts, Leah Hellerstein ’08, Hannah Fairbanks ’03, Marija Vulfs ’08, and Ellen Setchko Palmerlee ’16 as well as all the alums (from classes 1974 through 2019!) who came out and shared MHC memories and sweet treats. ⛰🍦

If you missed any of these chances to be in community with other local alums, don’t worry—October and November bring more opportunities to meet up both online and in person! Check out our slate of upcoming events below. 

Indigenous Peoples’ Day Teach-In

This October 11, the College will be presenting a webinar entitled How to be an Ally to Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous Peoples’ Day, commemorated throughout the United States on the second Monday in October, is a holiday that seeks to honor the histories, contributions, legacies, and experiences of the Indigenous Peoples of North America often referred to as Native Americans. Mount Holyoke honors the legacies of Indigenous tribes in Western Massachusetts who were the original caretakers of the area that the College now occupies. This educational opportunity is centered on understanding Indigenous cultures and histories. Sign up to hear from speakers Claudia Fox Tree, Johnny Cole, Marika Hamilton, and Jennifer Wolfrum.

In Memoriam

The NorCal Club would like to acknowledge two Northern California members who recently passed away: Mrs. Henry J. Wittrock (née Marguerite G. Killingbeck ’47) of Santa Rosa and Jeri Lynn Cohen ’81 of San Francisco. Steven Winn shared this touching tribute to Jeri in the San Francisco Chronicle in July. Our sincerest condolences to their families and friends. 

NorCal Book Club Celebrates One Year

Our NorCal Book Club, where we read and discuss books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) writers, just celebrated its first anniversary. We have a dedicated core group of readers and we’d love for you to join us. Check out the books we’ve read over the last year!

On November 10th, we’ll meet to talk about Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (register here) and will be mapping out our books for the upcoming year. We hope to see you there or at a future meeting. We’ll send out a schedule with books we intend to read over the next six months. Do you have a book you want to read with the Club or a favorite book you’d like included in the list? Drop us a line. 

Pay Your Dues 

Many thanks to those of you who have already paid your dues and/or become Lifetime Members. If you want to pay membership dues for the 2021-2022 year or become a Lifetime Member, please do so here: MHC Club of Northern CA Membership Dues. If you prefer to pay by check, please email us. Additionally, if your company offers corporate matching or incentives for volunteering or being a part of a non-profit organization, we are happy to work with them to find ways to financially support our Club.

Let’s Connect

As we continue planning for 2022, please share with us what types of events, programs, and resources may best support you at this time or any which you may wish to offer. Email us or fill out this form to get started. 

We’d love to showcase members of our alum community on social media. If you’re interested in sharing your story, let us know here.

Our very best wishes,

– The Board  

Dear fellow alums,

As the summer winds down, the NorCal Club is looking forward to a fantastic slate of events in the works for the fall and beyond. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming special Mountain Day 2021 programming—hello hiking and ice cream! 

Also in the works is an exclusive MHC NorCal meetup and tour at SFMOMA in November, another lecture on upcoming cases from Supreme Court expert Barbara B. Creed in January, as well as our new Monthly Mentoring Group led by the Board’s new co-Vice President, Jean Han ’87. Each gathering will feature a central question designed to spark meaningful, engaging, and intentional conversation. The question for the first meeting will be, “Is it worth it?” If you are interested in being part of this group as a mentor, are looking for mentorship, or simply want to join to learn, share, and create community, please reach out or join the first meeting on September 21st.   

Alum Admission Representatives Needed

Do you love our alma mater? Are you a connector? Do you want to be a bridge between brilliant local prospective students and the Alum Association? If this sounds like you, we encourage you to consider stepping into the role of Alum Admission Representative. We are looking for an AAR to cover the San Francisco region, as well as volunteers from farther-flung areas so we can have as much representation as possible from our Club’s large territory. Contact the Club or the College directly if you’d like to volunteer.    

Pay Your Dues 

Many thanks to those of you who have already paid your dues and/or become Lifetime Members! If you want to pay membership dues for the 2021-2022 year or become a Lifetime Member, please do so here: MHC Club of Northern CA Membership Dues. If you prefer to pay by check, please email us. Additionally, if your company offers corporate matching or incentives for volunteering or being a part of a non-profit organization, we are happy to work with them to find ways to financially support our Club.

Common Read 

The NorCal Club will be joining the College for the 2021 Common Read. The College has chosen The New York Times bestseller The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race, a collection of essays and poems edited by National Book Award winner Jesmyn Ward. 

The Common Read is part of Orientation programming and the College will be hosting a virtual discussion about the book on September 9th and the NorCal Book Club will gather via Zoom on September 15th. Grab a copy from a Black-owned bookstore, a favorite neighborhood independent bookseller, or the local public library, and meet us online for discussion and community.   

Get in Touch

As we continue planning for our next fiscal year, please share with us what types of events, programs, and resources may best support you at this time or any which you may wish to offer. Email us or fill out this form to get started. 

We’d love to showcase members of our alum community on social media. If you’re interested in sharing your story, let us know here.

We’re also still welcoming any recommendations of alums who have founded, work for, or volunteer at local Northern California organizations doing anti-racist work or fundraising and will include them in upcoming newsletters. Please send any recommendations to the Board at mountholyoke@gmail.com.

Our very best wishes,

– The Board