Photo by Richard Howard

I write this message to you from my makeshift home office, formerly known as my living room, given that my real home office has been taken over by one of our sons who is back to remote schooling. And as I write this in early December, many of our alumnae around the world are in the midst of another spike of cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. My heart goes out to those of you who have been directly impacted, having lost friends and loved ones. My gratitude extends to the frontline workers who are taking care of those in need (with many alumnae at the forefront of these efforts). And my admiration grows for our Wellesley College administration, faculty, and staff as they create meaningful ways to deliver a Wellesley education—both on campus and remotely—to our outstanding students.

Through this challenging time, the difficulty of staying connected to others outside our own family or quarantine pod has left a vacuum in so many of our lives. Staying focused on our wellness also poses challenges for many. But I am proud to say that, as usual, the Wellesley community recently rose to the occasion and will continue to do so.

In the month of October, more than 2,100 alumnae signed up and participated in Walktober, a fun, simple app-based program that encouraged us to walk (or do some form of exercise) each day. Many formed teams with classmates, dorm mates, and sports teammates, and we got out there and walked—some of us even through snow! Thanks to the wonderful effort by the Department of Physical Education, Recreation, and Athletics, along with Friends of Wellesley Athletics, we saw photos shared from all over the world, and we motivated ourselves and our teammates to get outside and get moving. As posts, texts, and feedback we received show, the energy, despite the physical distance between us all, was palpable. (You can read more about Walktober here.)

Due to this overwhelmingly positive response, the Alumnae Association will continue to provide a variety of ways for us to connect while feeding our souls, minds, and bodies. By now, you have been invited to participate in some of these programs—for example, the online fitness classes the WCAA sponsored in January—and there will be more! In addition, we launched our first ever, all-alumnae Wellesley College Book Club, reading The Other Americans by Laila Lalami. The book club, too, is an opportunity for alums to engage while removing the barriers of physical location or time zone. And if you are looking for other ways to connect to the College, to students, and to other alumnae, I encourage you (if you haven’t already) to be part of the Hive (hive.wellesley.edu). This career site is a place for you to share your professional expertise, offer an internship, or seek career advice for yourself.

I want to close by commending our staff, volunteers, and especially President Paula Johnson and her team at the College, for creating ways to safely move forward and fulfill our college’s mission and motto. I hope you will join me in supporting their efforts in the many ways alumnae can and do.

Yours for Wellesley,
Martha Goldberg Aronson ’89