Last night was a wonderful night to be at Wellesley. I joined the Alumnae Association in recognizing and celebrating three amazing women—Susan McGee Bailey ’63, Wendy Gillespie ’72, and Mary Jeanne Kreek ’58—who are the recipients of this year’s Alumnae Achievement Awards.
The award ceremony is always an inspirational event. I love to hear the stories of the women who receive the Alumnae Association’s highest honor, and to see so many alumnae–including past award winners– return to their alma mater for the event.
Last night was the perfect example of the power of a liberal arts education. Where else will you find on the same stage a gender and public policy scholar, an award-winning viola de gamba player, and a physician who pioneered treatment for addictive diseases? Despite their diverse interests and professions, there was a common theme among the three honorees last night: they each spoke about the twists and turns, the unexpected intersections that their lives took once they left Wellesley. As students, none of them could have imagined that their lives would have turned out the way they did.
It’s a theme I hear echoed so often from our alumnae and I hope it’s one that our students will take to heart: It’s okay to be insecure about the future so long as you trust your dreams and follow your passion.