College Road

Here’s to the Class of 2025.5

For the 10th year in a row, Wellesley held a December Finishers ceremony, recognizing students who complete the requirements for their degree at the end of the fall semester. Speakers at the Dec. 10, 2025, event included President Paula A. Johnson; co-class presidents Claire Schultz ’26 and Vivian Lee ’26; Maryellen Kiley, associate dean of students for academic integration and advising; and members of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association. Erin Corcoran ’13, assistant vice president for alumnae relations and global engagement, said, “Enjoy celebrating this moment at the end of your Wellesley student experience, knowing that this is just the beginning of Wellesley. You will discover all the ways that this community will continue to support you and the ways that you make a difference in the lives of others.”

Unpacking a Legacy

The Wellesley College Archives holds the papers of Mayling Soong Chiang, class of 1917, also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek; Katharine Lee Bates, class of 1880, poet and English professor; and Lorraine O’Grady ’55, conceptual artist and critic. Joining the papers of these luminaries and many others in Wellesley’s collection are those of Peggy McIntosh, senior research scientist and former associate director at the Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW). An educational innovator, feminist activist, author, and public speaker, McIntosh is best known for her 1989 article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2024. McIntosh’s collection is the College’s largest, about 150 archival boxes, which include materials from her personal life and career from the 1960s to the present. “It’s a very special experience, getting to work with a living donor,” says Dana Kerdesky, project archivist for WCW. The work is also enhanced by the Archives’ new space in the renovated Clapp Library, made possible by donors including Laura Daignault Gates ’72, as part of a vision to create a world-class digital archive at Wellesley. (A full feature on the Clapp renovation will appear in a future issue.)

The Ultimate Assist

The Kunze-Hoeg sisters, Else, class of 2028, and Kaija, class of 2026, have strengthened their bond over the past two years as members of the Wellesley volleyball team. They push each other physically and mentally as they balance rigorous academic schedules and competitive athletics. The teammates from Eagan, Minn., share excitement for the opportunity to experience at least some of their collegiate careers together. “Getting to play with my sister again has been so rewarding, and I know I have someone on campus I can go to when I need a break or a good laugh,” says Kaija. The connection has certainly yielded success for the tandem on and off the court. Kaija finished an illustrious career ranked second on the program’s all-time list with 1,674 digs. Else reached the 1,000 career assists mark during the season to sit just outside the top-10 list. They each have also been honored with academic awards.

Bittersweet Lessons

“The rule of this class is ‘Don’t yuck my yum,’” said Chipo Dendere, associate professor of Africana studies, on the first day of AFR 302/POLS 302: The Politics of Chocolates and Other Foods. The course explores why Europe is famous for producing chocolate when the Global South grows the vast majority of the world’s cocoa. What roles have colonialism and slavery played in the history of chocolate production? Chocolate is “a natural resource that most people don’t associate with the African continent, but that’s actually really big,” Dendere says. To share the topic with the College community, last fall Dendere hosted the Wellesley Week of Chocolate, a series of lectures featuring Jeanne Donkoh, founder and owner of Bioko Treats in Ghana, and Beth Kirsch, founder of Beth’s Chocolate in Newton, Mass.