From the Alumnae Association President

My late mamma was fond of the proverb “all good things must come to an end.” And, lamentably, indeed they must; my tenure as the president of our Alumnae Association is inexorably drawing to a close. During my five-year term (although in pandemic years, isn’t that more like 20?), I have witnessed so many evolutions at the College: the successful creation of the joint Alumnae Relations and Development Office, the launch and (soon!) conclusion of a wildly successful capital campaign, the introduction of Mawrter Connect and Meet a Mawrter, the thorough revision of the association bylaws and charters, the redesign of the Bulletin, the arrival of my son as a student in the Bi-Co community, the groundbreaking (at last!) of the new Student Life and Wellness Center, and of course the new normal of functioning in a full-blown pandemic, to name but a few. There is so much for us as a community to celebrate, perhaps most of all the College’s firm commitment to reckoning with our checkered history and examining and ameliorating the campus experience for all our current students.

Serving the College in this role has by far represented the most meaningful volunteer work of my life. It has been delightful getting to meet so many of you, from all over the world and of such a wide range of generations. I am consistently amazed that even when individual Mawrters may not appear to have much in common, our shared Bryn Mawr experience is more than enough, and a profound kinship is shared.

I owe many thanks to many people. Millie Bond ’05, the director of alumnae relations, started her job at the same time as did I, and we have learned and grown into our roles together; I feel fortunate to have her as my colleague and good friend. Her staff (Tracy Ryan, Cynthia Washington, Taylor Manferdini, and Gabrielle Gary) are the very best and work tirelessly for all of us alumnae/i. Bob Miller, our chief alumnae relations and development officer, is a gem of a gent with a great respect for our institution and women’s education and a profound understanding of the urgency, now more than ever, to keep the proverbial lights on. And to my board members, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your hard work on behalf of the College, undertaken with such care and love. I am proud to have worked alongside you and treasure your friendship more than I can say.

I wish my successor, Sally Bachofer ’97, a wonderful term of service. I leave knowing the association will be in excellent hands. Anassa kata!

Sincerely,
Saskia K. Subramanian ’88, M.A. ’89, President, Bryn Mawr Alumnae Association