Alumnae Association President's Message

President's Message

Dear fellow Scotties,

Everything that I’ve learned, experienced and observed during my year and a half as president of our remarkable Alumnae Association inspires me and fills me with excitement about our future. Together, we will continue to nurture “bonds of belonging” among our alumnae community — a phrase that President Zak recently used in remarks in the Atlanta and Decatur chapters’ virtual fall kickoff. It’s a phrase that captures the Alumnae Association's mission and focus for the years ahead.

As you read this issue of The Onyx, it’s fall at Agnes Scott. Students are once again on campus. YES! This season always reminds me of my years on campus and what the Scottie network has meant to me since graduating from Agnes Scott.

What have I gained over those years? Friends for a lifetime, amazing memories of the college experience, and a mind and spirit that were forever changed, starting with those first steps onto Woodruff Quad. Since then, I also have had the benefit of walking into rooms where the quality of my college education is known and understood, and I have leveraged the deep-rooted confidence of my time at Agnes Scott to ask tough questions and dig deeper to understand and make positive change. Hopefully, these are things we all got from Agnes Scott!

Through involvement in the Alumnae Association, I’ve also had experiences I didn’t expect to get when I first became more active. Over the past several years, connecting with Scottie siblings beyond my class years has opened up meaningful new relationships. With each Scottie I meet, I am reminded of the traits and commitments we share across the generations.

These connections are at the heart of our Alumnae Association Strategic Plan (which you can read about in this issue). Our plan is all about connecting and strengthening our Scottie network of alums. The five-year timeline of the plan hopefully gives you time to learn more and find your place in it.

I get so much back from the volunteering I do. Becoming involved as an alum is how I help ensure that Agnes Scott — home to values, traditions and ways of looking at the world that changed my life — continues to be a transformative place. And I’ve discovered that as an alum, it still transforms me.

While reading The Onyx, know that you are our audience. Start reading those emails from the Alumnae Office. Staff members Mary Frances Kerr ’93, Amy Chastain, Tasida Webster ’21 and Brooks Brower are reaching out. There are ways to connect, even during a pandemic.

Class officers — starting with those classes in reunion — are thinking about engagement in new ways. Scottie Book Month is coming (once again!) later this fall, with inspiration for conversation among generations. The partnership between the Alumnae Office and the Career Center is strong and getting stronger. There is more to come. As you look at the plan, think about the opportunities and pathways we’ve laid out and where you'd like to engage. Let’s keep building the Scottie bonds of belonging together

All the best,

Whitney Miller Ott ’03 Alumnae Association President alumnae@agnesscott.edu