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At the inauguration of 91���˶������’s 10th President and the celebration of Owls Fest, there was pomp, there was circumstance, and there was plenty of sparkle. The weekend was uniquely Bryn Mawr, complete with academic open houses, professor lectures, archival tours, athletic competitions, as well as doctoral student presentations. And, for good measure, it felt like Bryn Mawr’s campus saved its best autumnal leaf display for the nearly 1,000 alumnae/i,  families, and friends on campus that weekend.

In keeping with every good Bryn Mawr celebration, bagpipes signaled the start of the next chapter of the College’s history by calling together the Saturday morning academic procession for the inauguration of President Wendy Cadge. It was an honor to deliver remarks at the ceremony and to represent Bryn Mawr’s Alumnae Association. It was a fantastic opportunity for me to boast about the nearly 1,000 active alumnae/i volunteers, to highlight the 72 regional alumnae/i clubs across the globe, as well as to acknowledge the 25,000 undergraduate,  graduate, and postbaccalaureate alumni who make the Bryn Mawr network second to none.

After the ceremony concluded, we swapped our formal academic regalia for Owls Fest T-shirts, friendship bracelets, and sparkling scrunchies. And we celebrated. Beyond the resplendent display of school pride throughout the day, it was incredible to see so many generations of Mawrters on campus. All with a unique Bryn Mawr experience—all proof positive of the power of a Bryn Mawr education. As I walked around campus that day, I reflected on the number of times and ways “we” and  “team”  showed up during that day. President Cadge acknowledged that our commitment to academic excellence is a team effort.  

Sarah Spielman, Ph.D. ’27, remarked on how “we can empower our peers to  learn and grow by valuing their contributions and perspectives, even if they differ from our own.” Adalia Rodriguez ’24 noted how we are bridging forward to a new era.

Just like our alma mater, over the last century and through the course of nine presidents, our Alumnae Association has welcomed the opportunity to champion the power of “we” and to build an ever more equitable and supportive Bryn Mawr community. Members of the Alumnae Association Executive Board are working diligently to make formal volunteer roles more accessible, meaningful, and relevant for all undergraduate and graduate alumni, as well as ensure that our governance structure reflects the current and future needs of our alumnae/i body. Stay tuned for this year’s slate of Alumnae Association Executive Board Members and updates on the evolution of our collective work on behalf of Association members and the College. 

Best,
Sally Bachofer ’97