alumni news
Moving forward with determination and resilience As I write this on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I’m reminded of something Dr. King once said: “If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl; but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” The past year certainly has tested our ability to withstand and respond to myriad changes, from the mundane to the profound. But within that upheaval and adversity lie opportunities to move forward for the brave, for the intellectually curious, and for the resilient — qualities Clarkies have in abundance. Since June, the Alumni Council has had the privilege of hearing how students, faculty, and staff are experiencing and responding to the challenges of the pandemic and the fight for social justice in the community. We learned about the work of President David Fithian ’87, the administration, faculty, and staff to provide students with not just a safe environment in which to learn, but a rich, uniquely Clark education. And we experienced firsthand the ingenuity behind virtual programming that is reaching alumni like never before. Our own work, driven by an expanded base of committed alumni volunteers, continues. A new Diversity and Inclusion Committee is providing the administration with guidance and insight about how to act on areas of opportunity with marginalized groups of alumni. This committee will be an important liaison to new Black and LGBTQ+ alumni groups that are being developed and will kick off this year. Recognizing and celebrating the stories of our most committed alumni is also an area of focus. Historically, we’ve given Distinguished Alumni and Young Alumni awards at Reunion Weekend. In the past couple of years, we’ve added the new Service to Society Award. Our Awards Committee is reviewing candidates for these awards and thinking about new award categories for future years. Our Lifelong Learning Committee partnered with Clark’s Career Connections Center to offer a virtual alumni networking session as part of the Life After Clark conference in early February. This annual event provides juniors and seniors with skills, inspiration, and networking connections needed to be successful after graduation. The Nominating Committee recently presented a list of our recommendations for the open alumni-appointed seat to the Board of Trustees. This is among the most important annual tasks of the Alumni Council, and I am proud that, as in past years, we are not only presenting outstanding, qualified candidates, but also helping advance the diversity goals of this important governing body. In closing, I am immensely grateful for our volunteers who, despite their incredibly busy lives and the move to a completely virtual format, continue to surprise me with their resilience, diversity of thought, and strong ideals. We keep moving forward! MARY OWENS
President, Clark Alumni Council
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clarku.edu
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO?
Did you get a promotion? Get married? Write a book? Meet up with fellow Clarkies for a mini-reunion? We want to hear all about it, and your classmates do, too. Send your class note to: classnotes@clarku.edu Want to send a photo? Please be sure it’s as high resolution as possible (preferably 300 dpi) and send it as an attachment to your email. Or, if you prefer snail mail: Melissa Lynch, Associate Editor Clark University Marketing and Communications 950 Main St. Worcester, MA 01610 The first name of Brigid Palcic ‘11, M.A. ‘12, was incorrectly published in the Spring/Summer 2020. We apologize for the error.