As spring arrives, I look forward to seeing the flowering magnolia tree on campus and shedding my coat, boots, scarf, and gloves. Despite the harsh winter, Barnard hosted many exciting and heart-warming events, including the fifth Athena Film Festival and the seventh Global Symposium, which was held on campus in honor of the College’s 125th anniversary. I particularly enjoyed chatting with one alumna who brought her two daughters to the symposium: they had front-row seats at an important global conversation about what women are doing and must continue to do to change the plight of girls and women around the world. For those unable to attend the symposium, I hope you will go to barnard.edu/global/womenchangingtheworld2015 to watch clips from the panel discussions.
Recently, I attended two dinners that reminded me why I am involved in supporting Barnard with both my time and money. It’s all about the students. They are an inspiring, talented, and bold group of women. At a trustee-student dinner, I had the opportunity to chat with two seniors who will be moving on to consulting jobs at Accenture, and one who will be working with the National Park Service to help celebrate its centennial. They all spoke with confidence and poise that was bolstered by their participation in Athena Center for Leadership Studies programs and by their leadership roles at the College. One of the students will be moving to Chicago and is excited to join the Chicago Alumnae Club and to volunteer as a Barnard Alumnae Admissions Representative (BAAR).
The second dinner provided me with an opportunity to meet my scholarship recipient and other scholarship students. I met a sophomore who is a computer science major and is involved in the launch of Athena Digital Design. The latest in a long history of Barnard start-ups, the Athena Digital Design program trains students to develop websites in order to provide these services, for hire, to the community. If you are interested in hiring Barnard students to develop, design, or maintain your web presence, learn more at athenadigitaldesign.org.
As the academic year winds down, I hope to see you at Reunion, May 28–May 31. Even if it is not your reunion year, there are many programs for all alumnae, including career-development workshops on Friday, and a special session on Saturday morning, “Develop Your Leadership Brand: Unlock Confidence & Unleash Potential,” offered by the Athena Center. Wishing you an enjoyable spring filled with warm and sunny days.
—Terry S. Newman ’79
