Serendipity, but Make It Intentional

It’s not an exaggeration to say that my academic career happened by accident. In the fall of my first year, I showed up for course registration at the dining hall, where the department tables were arranged alphabetically. I headed toward the P’s — psychology and philosophy — but when some courses turned out to be full, my interest was drawn to the academic study of religion, the table next door. Fast forward many years, and sociology of religion is my professional identity, my animating passion, and my academic home. 

Serendipitous moments like this one shaped much of my life. Hosting an exchange student from Scotland at my high school with whom I became lifelong friends; connecting in my first year of college with someone both so different from me and so alike in our approaches to the world; casual conversations that became research projects; an offer of lunch to a landlord that led to an introduction to my wife (on a blind date); neighbors in various cities that became trusted friends. 

When I spend time with Bryn Mawr alums, they invariably describe the College as an inflection point in their lives. “If not for Bryn Mawr,” they tell me, “I wouldn’t have discovered my academic passion ... found my profession ... met my spouse or partner ... chosen to make a life abroad ... had the courage to become a single parent by choice ... made a life in Philadelphia ... connected with my ride-or-die posse,” and so much more. 

Many who came before me at Bryn Mawr — including, and perhaps especially, devoted alumnae/i — recognized the power of an education that resonates across a lifetime and the value of a community whose wisdom, insights, and support can be tapped at every stage. 

In an age of digital connection, it’s gratifying to know of the dozens of alum-generated social media groups connecting Mawrters on every conceivable topic, from workplace issues to travel to raising adolescents to elder care. 

I’m excited that Alumnae/i Relations and Development will be piloting some new programs this year, including ways that alums can support our most recent graduates as they take their first steps following graduation. For example, we will be launching a Year One Reunion to welcome graduates from the Class of 2025 into the alumnae/i community quickly and will be bringing elements of the Bryn Mawr experience to regional club events in support of lifelong learning. 

A decade from now, Bryn Mawr will mark its 150th anniversary. As we plan and dream together toward that milestone, we will this year be co-creating the College’s next strategic plan and comprehensive plan for our physical campus. These plans detail ways of operationalizing our mission over the next 10 years that speak to both individual achievement and how we construct a more just and equitable world together. Together we will deepen and extend the power of Bryn Mawr’s distinctive multigenerational community, sparking serendipity with intention for all of us whose journeys begin or continue at Bryn Mawr. 

Wendy Cadge