Connecting After Graduation
Your Association
Dear Bryn Mawr College Alumnae/i,
On behalf of the Association and the College’s Alumnae/i Relations and Development team, we are delighted to present the Annual Report of alumnae/i engagement opportunities for June 1, 2024 through May 31, 2025.
This year began with a great spark as we celebrated the College’s 10th President, Wendy Cadge, during Inauguration and Owls Fest Weekend. Mawrters traveled from across the globe to be on campus to be part of the celebration. There was pomp, there was sparkle, there was a celebration of academic excellence, joyful performances by students, and triumphs on the athletic field. With over 900 families, friends, alumnae/i, and students gathered on campus, Bryn Mawr shone brightly.
Bryn Mawr alumnae/i continued to light the way throughout the year. In March, Mawrters from 17 countries and spanning seven decades—from the Class of 1961 to the Class of 2029—gathered in London on International Women’s Day for the first-ever in-person International Forum. Later in the spring, the 0’s and 5’s Reunion classes gathered en masse to celebrate Reunion milestones. We welcomed over 950 alumnae/i and their guests onto campus—with record attendance set by individual classes. In addition to these signature events, thanks to volunteer leaders, there were on average 20 regional events hosted per month.
In the year ahead—look for a myriad of opportunities for intergenerational connection amongst alumnae/i, as well as moments of connection with the expanded BMC network of families and friends. Stay tuned for Building the Next Chapter events with President Wendy Cadge, regional programming, showcases of faculty excellence, personal and professional growth learning opportunities, affinity programming, and of course, signature programs like Owls Fest and Reunion Weekend where we will celebrate the 1’s and 6’s.
Thank you for your continued engagement throughout the year, and we look forward to seeing you at a Bryn Mawr College event this year.
Gabrielle Gary – Associate Vice President for Constituent Engagement
Sally Bachofer ’97 – Alumnae/i Association President, and Bryn Mawr College Trustee
Proud Traditions
Send-Off Parties
July – August 2024
Traditions are a hallmark of a Bryn Mawr College undergraduate experience. Send-Off parties are one of the first opportunities for first-year students to connect to their Class colors and Mawrters across generations. During the Summer of 2024, alumnae/i, current parents, and past parents hosted students before they officially started their Bryn Mawr journey. Thanks to volunteer support, we hosted 18 Send-Off parties. We are proud to boast that in the Summer of 2025 that number grew to 21!
Lantern Bookstore Visit
October 11, 2024
The Lantern Bookstore, located in DC, and its dedicated volunteers crossed an extraordinary milestone: one million dollars in book sales donated to Bryn Mawr College to support students' summer internships. We encourage bibliophiles of all ages to visit The Lantern Bookstore, The Bryn Mawr Bookstore in Cambridge, and the annual Bryn Mawr-Wellesley Book Sale held in Princeton, NJ.
Happy Friday Happy Hour
February 21, 2025
Each winter, Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Mawrters around the globe come together to celebrate Happy Friday Happy Hours (HFHH) with classmates and peers. Thanks to the leadership of the GOLD Committee co-chairs Rachel Bruce ’18, Nisha Choudhary ’21, Alexis McDonald Ismaeil ’17 and Lydia Sanchez ’18, committee members, as well as Mawrters who volunteered to host--this happy hour tradition remains a seasonal favorite. Beyond coming together in person, over 100 alumnae/i joined the Show Your Bryn Mawr Love Challenge, making gifts to strengthen the Bryn Mawr Fund.
Learn more about GOLD programs, resources, and how recent graduates donate to make a difference.
Inauguration and Owls Fest Weekend
October 25 – October 26, 2024
Bryn Mawr was abustle with activity during Owls Fest and Inauguration as over 950 alumnae/i, friends, family members, and guests from far and wide gathered to experience all the campus has to offer and to officially welcome Wendy Cadge as Bryn Mawr’s 10th president. Activities started on Friday with faculty talks, Shabbat Services, and student performances. On Saturday, undergraduate and graduate alumnae/i from across generations served as delegates during the Inauguration procession. After the pomp and circumstance, the celebrations continued with a block party, Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research PhD candidate presentations, athletic games, and the presentation of the 2024 Association Service Awards.
NCAA Field Hockey Watch Party
November 16, 2024
Caroline Heffernan ’10, past ALC member and former BMC student-athlete, hosted a virtual watch party to cheer on the record-breaking Bryn Mawr field hockey team. The team’s historic year included climbing to the rank of No. 10 in the country and winning the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Mawrters from across time zones joined on Zoom to cheer on their Owls as they took on seven-time reigning national champions Middlebury College.
International Forum
March 7 - March 8, 2025
Mawrters from 17 countries and spanning seven decades—from the Class of 1961 to the Class of 2029—gathered in London on International Women’s Day for the first-ever in-person International Forum. The theme of the 2025 Forum was change, as the College entered a new era of leadership under President Wendy Cadge. This special event was open to all members of the Bryn Mawr community. In addition to dynamic panels and noteworthy speakers, the Forum included professional networking, life design activities and takeaways, as well as rich social and cultural opportunities.
Lifelong Learning
AIA/SCS Conference in Philadelphia
January 4, 2025
Each winter, the Archaeological Institute of America and the Society for Classical Studies (AIA/SCS) hold a joint meeting that brings together graduate students and professionals to present research, exchange ideas, take part in workshops, and build connections across the field. As an extension to the conference activities, Bryn Mawr hosted graduates and undergraduate alumnae/i attendees to a reception in Great Hall. Professors Radcliffe Edmonds, Paul Shorey Professor of Greek and Professor and Chair of Greek, Latin, and Classical Studies, and Astrid Lindenlauf, Associate Professor and Chair of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology, and Director of the Graduate Group in Archaeology, Classics and History of Art, served as hosts to over fifty alumnae/i and their guests.
Save the Dates: January 7 – January 10: BMC will host an alumnae/i social gathering at the AIA/SCS Conference in San Francisco, CA
Save the Dates: February 18 - 21: BMC will host an alumnae/i social gathering at the College Art Association (CAA) Conference in Chicago, IL
Journey through Vietnam
January 2 – 16, 2025
Alumnae/i ranging from the Classes of 1963 – 1987 as well as a past parent from the Class of 2007, participated in a sold-out trip to Vietnam. Over the last thirty years, Bryn Mawr travel trips have brought together lifelong learners and intrepid travelers across generations.
Explore future Bryn Mawr Alumnae/i Travel Programs.
Read about a past travel program trip: “The Best Souvenir: Friendship”
Regional Programming
There are 72 regional clubs across the globe and thanks to Club volunteers—the numbers keep growing each year. Connecting with undergraduate and graduate alumnae/i Mawrters in their region is just one of the many ways Mawrters stay connected with the Bryn Mawr network. Last year, there were 245 regional programs publicized in Alumnae/i Connections, the bi-weekly event calendar for alums. Examples of programming include the Princeton Club’s History and Science of Cheese, led by Mia Vegari ’05.
Reunion Weekend
The 0’s and 5’s returned to Bryn Mawr College to celebrate their Reunion. Anassa Kata to the Class of 1950 who were the most senior class on campus. There were over 950 alumnae/i, families, and guests in attendance—a 13% increase from the following Reunion. Thanks to efforts from reunion volunteers, the Class of 1985 had record-breaking attendance for a 40th Reunion. The combined efforts of enthusiastic fundraising volunteers helped the 0’s and 5’s raise over a quarter of the over $6 million raised for the Bryn Mawr Fund.
Senior Toast
May 12, 2025
GOLD volunteer and fellow red class alum, Sonja O’Brien ’21, led an official toast in the newly renovated Wyndham Alumnae House to welcome the Class of 2025 into the alumnae/i community. Class officer elections for seniors took place shortly after—resulting in volunteers from the Classes of 1951 through 2025.
Connecting Across Generations
Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research (GSSWSR) Networking Event
April 23, 2025
Hosted on the GSSWSR campus, current graduate students heard directly from social work professionals in various fields, engaged with alumnae/i at networking tables to learn more about career options, connected with their peers, and learned more about the myriad alumnae/i resources available—especially the regional club programs. At last count, 58% of the Delaware Club alumnae/i are GSSWSR graduates and this same cohort makes up 44% of the Philadelphia Club!
Browse professional development offerings.
Read archived issues of the bi-weekly Alumnae/i Connections Newsletter to sample past programming.
Alumnae Bulletin
The Bulletin which was first published in January 1921, continues to serve as a printed touchpoint to the College for Mawrters across the globe. It is mailed to more than 26,000 alumnae/i, family members, and friends three times a year and continues to have an extended life on the College’s website and in the College archives. The spring issue highlighted sustainability efforts from alumnae/i as well as the College. In the generations feature, Julia Wellner ’92 and Rachel Clark ’16 marine biologists who both majored in geology at Bryn Mawr were interviewed. Clark earned her Ph.D. at the University of Houston with Wellner, who is on the faculty. Together, they published a study in 2024 on the Thwaites Glacier.
Read more about these Mawrters' research and explore past digital issues of the Bulletin here.
Career and Civic Engagement Center: Intensives
Spring 2025
Bryn Mawr College Intensives are one of the many ways the Career and Civic Engagement Center helps students explore different industries, learn key concepts and principles, connect with alumnae/i and other professionals in the field, as well as work with case studies. The Center offered nearly 40 opportunities for students last year. As an example of programming, in the spring alumnae Caroline Cai '96, Foqia Shahid '23, Habiba Waziruddin '04, Angela Blatz Park '16, Amanda Blatz '23, and Amberine Nagree '01 contributed to the Finance Trek and Leslie Brodudo Mitts '84 led the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Retreat.
Explore other Intensive opportunities that connect alumnae/i and students across generations here.
Career and Civic Engagement Center: Listen, Learn, and Connect
Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
Listen, Learn, Connect (LLC) is an immersive experience that connects Bryn Mawr College students and alumnae/i to increase career preparedness through moderated talks, interactive discussion panels, and 1:1 student advising. Organized by the Career and Civic Engagement Center, and facilitated by Christina Burton, Senior Associate Director, Alumnae/i Career Services, LLC sessions are offered six times per academic year. Each session is themed around academic major categories and includes a full day of in-person interaction with students, staff, and campus leaders. LLC emphasizes the Center's core competencies - Communication, Reflective Practice, Conceptual Thinking, Implementation, Connection, Cultural Competency, and Social Responsibility - while facilitating network activation to support exploration.
Art Remediating Campus Histories: ARCH Project Unveiling
Nekisha Durret’s “Don’t Forget to Remember (Me)” is a commissioned monument at Bryn Mawr College arising from an exploration of exclusionary histories on campus. Durrett’s artwork is the culmination of Bryn Mawr College’s ARCH Project (Art Remediating Campus Histories), a five-year collaboration with students, staff, faculty, and alums, and was produced in partnership with Monument Lab. The final fabrication of Nekisha Durrett’s “Don't Forget to Remember (Me)” was completed in the Cloisters ahead of a dedication of the artwork, which included activities sponsored by Special Collections, a Black at Bryn Mawr Tour led by Jada Ceasar ’20 with tour founders Emma Kioko ’15 and Grace Argo ’15 an evening unveiling celebration, and other opportunities for commemoration and reflection.
Golden Sages Program
November 14, 2024
The Golden Sages is an affinity group of Bryn Mawr College alumnae/i who have celebrated their 50th reunion or are graduate school alumni over the age of 72. Mawrters and alumni peers from the Tri-Co come together for bi-annual lectures. This group is led by co-chairs Kit Burns ’66 and Terry Hirshorn ’67. Last fall, nearly 200 Mawrters and guests joined for a virtual lecture given by Marc Schulz . Marc Schulz is a co-author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness (2023), which has been translated to over 40 languages around the world. Dr. Schulz is the Associate Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, an 85-year-old longitudinal study of human flourishing in two generations of individuals from over 700 families. He also holds the Sue Kardas PhD 1971 Professorship in Psychology at Bryn Mawr College and directs Bryn Mawr’s Data Science Program.
Association Election
