Hollins University Magazine, Spring 2018

SPRING 2018

Today.

Tomorrow.

Together.

On February 24, Pareena G. Lawrence was installed as Hollins’ 12th president.

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Hollins Hollins Magazine Vol. 68, No. 4 April - June 2018 GUEST EDITOR Jean Holzinger M.A.L.S. ’11 Hollins University Box 9657 Roanoke, VA 24020 www.hollins.edu ADVISORY BOARD President Pareena Lawrence; Vice President for Institutional Advancement Audrey Stone; Director of Alumnae Relations Lauren Sells Walker ’04; Director of Public Relations Jeff Hodges M.A.L.S. ’11 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ann Atkins Hackworth ’82, M.A.L.S. ’95; Mary Ann Harvey Johnson ’67, M.A. ’71; Lucy Lee M.A.L.S. ’85, C.A.S. ’03; Linda Martin; Brenda McDaniel HON ’12; Sharon Meador; Kathy Rucker

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President Pareena Lawrence explains why the university’s newly launched strategic planning process is crucial to future success.

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PRINTER Progress Printing, Lynchburg, VA Hollins (USPS 247/440) is published quarterly by Hollins University, Roanoke, VA 24020. Entered as Periodicals Postage Paid at Roanoke, VA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hollins, Hollins University, Box 9688, Roanoke, VA 24020 or call (800) TINKER1.

The articles and class letters in Hollins do not necessarily represent the official policies of Hollins University, nor are they always the opinions of the editor. Hollins University does not discriminate in admission because of race, color, religion, age, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin, veteran status, or sexual orientation and maintains a nondiscriminatory policy throughout its operation. For more information, contact the director of human resources/Title IX coordinator, (540) 362-6660 or hollinshr@hollins.edu.

Questions, comments, corrections, or story ideas may be sent to: Magazine Editor Box 9657 Roanoke, VA 24020 magazine@hollins.edu

Photos on cover and back cover: Michael Sink

Today. Tomorrow. Together.

Words and pictures from President Lawrence’s inauguration

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Living a Life of Consequence Profiles of four students, each chosen by her academic division, who embody the theme of President Lawrence’s inauguration: “Living a Life of Consequence: Hollins Students Changing the World”

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Science by Design Dana Science Building may look unchanged on the outside, but the inside of the 51-year-old building has been completely revamped, with new labs, offices, and study spaces.

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Becoming Who You Were Meant to Be Executive Director of Career Development Karen Cardozo says her calling is helping students and alumnae achieve the flexible mindset needed to stay agile in a fast-changing world.​

By Jeff Hodges M.A.L.S. ’11

CLASS LETTERS EDITOR Olivia Body ’08 DESIGNERS Sarah Sprigings, David Hodge Anstey Hodge Advertising Group, Roanoke, VA

“We must think boldly and move bold thinking into action”

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Remembering Life Before the Commas As you pass the big 5-0 and head for the equally significant 3-0, what really matters? By Sarah Achenbach ’88

D E P A R T M E N T S 3

In the Loop “Show, don’t tell” A tribute to Amanda Cockrell ’69, M.A. ’88, who is retiring at the end of this academic year. By Sarah Jackson M.A. ’14

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Alumnae Connections A heart for service Thanks to the organizational efforts of Jessica Hall Arrington ’12, M.A.L.S. ’15 and University Chaplain Jenny Call, this year’s Golden Rule Dinner was more successful than ever. By Beth JoJack ’98

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Focus on Philanthropy

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Class Letters With profiles of Karen Barnes ’90 and class letters editor Olivia Body ’08

WWW

Visit the online version of Hollins magazine at hollins.edu/magazine.

FROM THE

President

“We must think boldly and move bold thinking into action” President Pareena Lawrence explains why Hollins’

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s many of you know, higher education is at a crossroads.

From changing demographics and the rise in outcomesrelated expectations related to economic, geographic, and technological challenges, institutions of higher learning must now accept and embrace a sense of urgency.

Hollins’ 176-year history attests to our resiliency and ability to adapt creatively to new realities. Our students, faculty, staff, alumnae, and trustees possess the talent and resources to take our university successfully into the future.

With those strengths as our foundation, we are launching a new strategic planning process to guide us over the next five years. Strategic planning is one of those buzz terms we hear a lot from businesses and organizations today, but simply put, it addresses one fundamental question: Where do we want to go? At Hollins, we can’t just meander through our journey and hope what we are doing enables us to adjust to an ever-changing landscape. Planning involves vision, mission, out-of-the-box thinking, and ultimately, execution.

I must admit: I love strategic planning.

There is nothing more exciting to me than the prospect of working with my colleagues as a team to chart the direction of our university and prioritize initiatives that will help us thrive in the years to come. Throughout my academic career, I’ve heard the naysayers loud and clear: “Strategic planning is a colossal waste of time.” “Plans just sit on the president’s shelf and gather dust.” “Plans are obsolete as soon as they are written.” “There is no evidence that planning actually works.”

The reality? Not planning rarely works. Thinking strategically, understanding the environment in which

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newly launched strategic planning process is crucial to the university’s future success. we operate, setting long-term goals, and aligning around clear priorities are critical in meeting current and future challenges. We must think boldly and move bold thinking into action.

At Hollins, our strategic planning process will be focused on three overarching goals: • Building enrollment • Improving our retention and graduation rates • Enhancing our overall student experience Each of these goals directly connects with our value proposition that a Hollins education is worth the investment of time and resources.

In addition, we have identified four themes that will guide us through our strategic planning process: 1. LEARNING ACROSS BOUNDARIES

We must focus on integrating teaching and learning across our curricular and cocurricular experiences in order to leverage fully our residential liberal arts setting and balance both student programs and academic initiatives.

2. VIBRANT CAMPUS AND CURRICULUM

We must develop a campus culture that is visibly engaged and innovative academically. This requires the campus itself to have spaces and places for cooperation, engagement, and innovation.

3. RESPONSIVE AND COLLABORATIVE CULTURE

We must foster an inspired and concerted workplace environment that focuses on building capacity to be forward-thinking in meeting the needs of contemporary and future students.

This is supported through improved efficiency and interdisciplinary

decision-making. It’s also bolstered by investments in resources to promote professional development of all employees and to make datainformed decisions.

4. FOCUSED IDENTITY

We must develop a strong marketing and branding strategy. We must collectively share the stories and moments that make Hollins special.

Of course, the active participation of the entire Hollins community is essential to the success of our strategic planning. We officially launched the process at the winter meeting of our Board of Trustees on February 22. Three weeks later, we held an institution-wide Community Day on campus that brought faculty and staff together to discuss relevant issues and gather meaningful input. In April I was pleased to share an alumnae/i survey with you to solicit your creativity, innovation, and support.

To help lead this process, a Planning Steering Committee with representatives from the president’s cabinet, faculty leadership, staff, our Board of Trustees, and student government has been established. For each of the four themes we have identified, we have built planning theme teams that will conduct campus-wide outreach to develop initiatives under each theme.

I look forward to sharing regular updates as we develop further details around the planning process. The coming months will be a busy and exciting time as we think about our collective future and identify the path(s) to help us meet tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities.

I look forward to your contributions to the future of this place we love.

IN THE

Loop National Gallery showcases work of Sally Mann

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he National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., presented Sally Mann’s (’74, M.A. ’75) first major international exhibition of her photographs of the South. Sally Mann: A Thousand Crossings brought together 115 photographs that offered insight into Mann’s connection with the literature, art, and history of her native region. Many of the photographs in the exhibition, on view in the gallery’s West Building from March 4 through May 28, were shown for the first time.

A Thousand Crossings is a five-part exhibition. Family features photographs that Mann took of her three children during the 1980s at their summer cabin on Virginia’s Maury River.

Swamplands, fields, and decaying estates that Mann discovered during her travels across Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi in the 1990s highlight The Land. Civil War

battlefields are the focus of Last Measure, and Abide with Me investigates the role of race and history in shaping Virginia’s landscape and Mann’s own childhood and adolescence.

The exhibition’s final section, What Remains, touches on themes of time, transformation, and death through photographs of Mann and her family.

“The National Gallery is now one of the largest repositories of Mann’s photographs,” said director Earl A. Powell III. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work closely with the artist in presenting a wide selection of the work she has created over four decades.” Private lectures with curators, open to alumnae and guests, are being planned as the exhibit travels throughout this country and to Paris.

In 2015, Mann’s memoir, Hold Still, was shortlisted for the National Book Award.

Betsy Schneider

A Thousand Crossings on view this spring

Mann

Dance alumna awarded $50,000 fellowship Amara Tabor-Smith recognized by United States Artists

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Tabor-Smith

ancer and choreographer Amara Tabor-Smith M.F.A. ’16 is one of 45 artists and collectives across nine creative disciplines announced as 2018 USA Fellows by United States Artists.

Recognized for their creative accomplishments, fellows receive an unrestricted $50,000 cash award to be used to support ongoing artistic and professional development.

Tabor-Smith lives in Oakland, California, and serves as the artistic director of Deep Waters Dance Theater.

She describes her work as “Afro Futurist Conjure Art,” and her dancemaking practice uses Yoruba spiritual

ritual to address issues of social and environmental justice, race, gender identity, and belonging. Her current project, House/Full of Blackwomen, is a multisite-specific dance theatre work that addresses the displacement, well-being, and sex trafficking of black women and girls in Oakland.

USA Fellowships are awarded to artists at all stages of their careers, and from every corner of the United States, through a rigorous nomination and panel selection process. Spread across all creative disciplines, the fellows represent a broad cross section of the best of American arts and letters.

Spring 2018 3

IN THE

Loop

“Show, don’t tell” A tribute to Amanda Cockrell ’69, M.A. ’88, who is retiring at the end of this academic year.

BY SA R A H JACKSON M. A . ’14

Sharon Meador

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his is possibly the most frequently repeated advice given in creative writing classrooms. Telling readers what is happening in a story is useful, perhaps, but it is boring. Static. Flat. Showing, on the other hand, gives your characters and setting dimension. It brings your story to life.

In her position as the director of the graduate programs in children’s literature, Amanda Cockrell has had to do a lot of telling. There were all the orientations as we gathered excitedly in the Green Drawing Room at the beginning of the summer.

There were the countless advising meetings as we stressed about everything from schedules to vocations. And, of course, there were so, so many emails.

As her graduate assistant for two summers, I got a taste of how much behindthe-scenes administrative work she did to keep the program not just running, but thriving. I asked her questions on a daily basis, and she responded to me as she does in all her telling: with characteristic patience, promptness, clarity, and charm.

But Amanda is a writer as well as an administrator, which is to say that she is first and foremost a show-er. So what has she been showing us all these years at Hollins?

She showed us her openhearted hospitality. Each year, she welcomed us not only to campus, but also to her beautiful home for the end-of-summer potlucks.

As our advisor, she was always available 4 Hollins

to discuss whatever was on our minds, responding to our concerns and requests with equal grace and generosity.

She showed us her fierce loyalty. On one occasion, the other graduate assistants and I were explaining a misunderstanding we’d had with another office on campus.

Amanda listened, stood up, and strode determinedly out of the building. As I watched her go, I thought to myself, “It’ll be fine. Amanda’s got us.” It was, and she did. She always has.

She also showed us her profound belief in us as creators and scholars. Once, after I presented at a conference, Amanda handed me her business card displaying her home, office, cell, and email contact information. “I’d love to have your paper for the [Children’s Literature] journal,” she said. Initially, I found the business card handover amusing. Didn’t she remember that, as her assistant, I had access to these various contact options? Later, though, I realized what she had done for me.

Of course she was aware that I knew how to reach her. But she wanted to treat me the way she would anyone else at a conference.

In speaking to me like a scholar, she helped me become one. I learned from other Hollins friends that this is a normal practice for her; Amanda consistently treats us as though we are who we want someday to be.

Having been away from Hollins for a few years now, I interact with Amanda

mainly through Facebook, and I continue to marvel at the pride she has in us. She celebrates our publications and other joys whenever possible, and she mourns with us when we need to grieve. She encourages our ideas, like the development of the alumnae/i reunion.

Occasionally, I’ll bump into Amanda at a conference and, after a hug and a chat, I’ll ask where she’s headed next. Her answer is always the same: “To the next session with a Hollins student!” Many conferencegoers feel the tension between supporting colleagues and attending other sessions of interest. For Amanda, it isn’t that she is prioritizing us over her interests.

Her interests are us.

Amanda has been foundational in writing the ever-developing story of the children’s literature programs at Hollins, and her contributions—as director, teacher, editor, advisor, mentor, writer— are immeasurable.

Despite all of the telling she has had to do in one form or another over the years, her primary work has always been showing us she loves us by providing opportunities to bring our stories— and ourselves—to life.

Sarah Jackson is pursuing her doctorate in literature for children and young adults at The Ohio State University, where she is researching preschoolers’ engagement with multicultural and diverse literature.

IN THE

Loop Playwright’s Lab director receives gold medallion

Curricular news Creative writing major and online graduate education degree

Todd Ristau singled out for innovative leadership

• • • The Jackson Center for Creative Writing, which offers both a concentration and a minor in creative writing in addition to an M.F.A. degree, is introducing an undergraduate major in creative writing, beginning this fall. “‘Where students mature into authors’ is one of the Jackson Center’s guiding principles and is even more relevant with the advent of this new opportunity for undergraduates,” said Cathryn Hankla ’80, M.A. ’82, professor of English and creative writing and chair of the English and creative writing department.

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Ristau

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he Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) presented its highest award to the director of the Playwright’s Lab at Hollins University. Todd Ristau, who has guided the M.F.A. program in playwriting since its inception in 2007, received the KCACTF Gold Medallion, one of the most prestigious honors in theatre education.

The medallion recognizes “individuals or organizations that have

made extraordinary contributions to the teaching and producing of theatre and who have significantly dedicated their time, artistry, and enthusiasm to the development of the KCACTF.” The KCACTF praised Ristau for having “demonstrated innovative leadership in the field of new play development and [making] a tremendous impact in the vitally important area of nurturing playwrights and new plays.”

Students seeking a graduate degree in education, one designed to expand expertise in the preK-12 levels, can begin earning it this summer through the new Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning, or M.A.T.L. “Men and women admitted to the program will have the opportunity to work with accomplished faculty in the areas essential in today’s continually changing landscape of preK-12 education: writing, inquiry, instructional design, assessment, leadership, technology, and contemporary issues in education,” said Lorraine Lange, director of the M.A.T.L. as well as the Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Arts in Liberal Studies graduate programs.

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Lisa Rowe Fraustino, a critically acclaimed and award-winning author of young adult and children’s books, has been appointed director of the graduate programs in children’s literature. She succeeds Amanda Cockrell ’69, M.A. ’88, who has led the program since 1992 and is retiring from the position in August 2018 (see previous page).

Nick Lacy

Myra Sims has been appointed director of athletics. She assumed full-time oversight of the athletic department’s day-to-day operations in late spring. Sims comes to Hollins from Emory & Henry College, where she has been director of athletics since 2010.

Sims

Fraustino

Spring 2018 5

ALUMNAE

Connections President Lawrence has attended a host of alumnae events since she took office last summer. Here are some highlights.

Attending the cocktail party to introduce President Lawrence at the home of Elizabeth Goodman Pritchard ’80:

ATLANTA Debbie Burk Dewees ’73, Mary Boyle Hataway ’61, Katherine Sumpter Rider ’06, Linda Parramore Bath ’59

Shaye Strager Gilmartin ’95, hostess Elizabeth Goodman Pritchard ’80, Harriet Cotten Moran ’60

Past parents Suzanne and Louis Blair with President Lawrence

Host committee members with the president: Elizabeth McDonald Head ’65, Lindsay Daniel Helms ’70, President Lawrence, Chris Butler Ball ’69, Suzanne McCormick Taylor ’64

Lindsay Daniel Helms ’70 and Deborah Gray Harmon ’57

WASHINGTON, D.C. Host committee members with the president and Suzy Mink 74, senior philanthropic advisor: M.C. Andrews ’86, Loretta Solon Greene ’85, President Lawrence, Caroline Russell ’86, and Mink

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JACKSONVILLE Suzanne McCormick Taylor ’64 and Nicole Bliss Bryan ’93

NEW YORK CITY Host committee members: Missy Green ’97, Yafen Liang ’12, Missy Van Buren-Brown ’76, Amanda Miller ’86, Kristin Cowdin ’02, Courtney Chenette ’09, Sarah Holland ’64, Emily Morgan ’79, Margaret “Bebbie” MacCary ’63, Helen Hopkins Miller ’77, Tegan Harcourt ’17, Judy Morrill ’84, Miranda Dennis ’08, Kelsey DeForest ’13, Mim Hayllar Farmakis ’67

ALUMNAE

Connections A heart for service Thanks to the organizational efforts of Jessica Hall Arrington ’12, M.A.L.S. ’15 and University Chaplain Jenny Call, this year’s Golden Rule Dinner was more successful than ever.

BY BETH JOJACK ’98

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he music is pumping in Ballator Gallery on a chilly Tuesday in March.

Students Pria Jackson ’19 and Kandyce Mayes ’18 are feeling it. They’re lobbying for Jessica Hall Arrington to become the official DJ for all Hollins events. “That’s the consensus,” says Mayes, a psychology major.

Arrington puts real thought into the set lists that play during the meal-packaging sessions she organizes as an assistant community engagement manager for Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization. “You want it upbeat,” she says. “It’s more motivational.”

Jackson and Mayes, who both work as resident assistants at Hollins, join Melissa Hine, assistant dean and director of housing and residence life, and Stephanie Force, assistant director of housing and residence life, around a meal-packaging station. They each take turns adding one ingredient— rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, a Kraft Heinz vitamin packet—to a meal bag.

The atmosphere in the room becomes even more festive when Arrington pauses Kelis’ song “Bossy” to bang an actual gong and announce that the Hollins volunteers have packaged 10,000 meals—one-third of the way to the 30,000-meal goal.

Rise Against Hunger (formerly known as Stop Hunger Now) has recruited volunteers to pack more than 333 million meals to feed the hungry in over 74 countries.

The Hollins students, alumnae, and staff members volunteered to package the meals out of a desire to help those in need, but plenty also wanted to visit with bubbly Arrington, whom they remember fondly from her days as a student and later as dining-hall manager for Meriwether Godsey, the company that provides dining services to Hollins.

When Arrington first arrived at Hollins from her Baltimore, Maryland, home, she quickly became immersed in campus activities. She served as a student chaplain, was cofounder of the Hollins University Praise Dance Team, and was a member of the Black Student Alliance and the Early Transition Program, which pairs students from underrepresented groups with a mentor. The experience of leading in those campus groups pushed Arrington to choose communication studies as her major.

“I realized I really wanted to know more about how I could use my voice to make an impact,” Arrington says. “Because if I can do that for myself, I can be an advocate for others and be a voice for others who aren’t acknowledged as having a voice in society.”

As a communication studies major, Arrington needed to complete an internship.

She knew her options would be limited because she didn’t have a car. “I tried to be creative,” she says.

Arrington worked with the head of dining services at Hollins to create an internship. She did so well that the internship became the full-time job of marketing manager for the dining hall, a position Arrington kept for the rest of her tenure at Hollins. After graduating with her M.A.L.S. degree, she was promoted to dining-hall manager and continued that work until the spring of 2017, when she decided to make the leap into the world of nonprofit organizations.

University Chaplain Jenny Call describes Arrington’s passion and spirit as “inspirational.” “She has a heart for service and for engaging others,” Call says.

As a student, Arrington helped to organize the Golden Rule Dinner, an event held each year during which members

Arrington

of the Hollins community gather in the dining hall for a simple meal of soup and bread. Meriwether Godsey makes a donation toward an organization that works to end hunger in honor of each person who eats the less expensive meal. In addition to raising money, organizers hope that the dinners raise awareness of the estimated 815 million people worldwide who struggle with hunger.

The dinners have been held at Hollins at least as far back as the late 1970s and maybe longer, according to Call. This was the first year, since Call has been organizing the event, that a service component was held in conjunction with the dinner.

“When Jessica reached out to ask about the possibility,” Call says, “I knew that it would be a wonderful opportunity for us to broaden the impact of the Golden Rule Dinner tradition.”

A Roanoke writer, Beth JoJack writes frequently for Hollins magazine.

Spring 2018 7

ALUMNAE

Connections

Alumnae gathered on campus in March for a Boyce Lineberger Ansley Leadership Summit strategy session.

From the Alumnae Board

Mark your calendars: Leadership summit coming September 30

T Ansley

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he Boyce Lineberger Ansley ’68 Leadership Summit will take place on Sunday, September 30, 2018, the day before Hollins’ annual C3 event. The theme of this fall’s summit is “Designing a Life of Consequence.”

All interested alumnae are invited to attend.

A recipient of Hollins’ Distinguished Service Award, Ansley was a committed volunteer on behalf of Hollins and also of her native Atlanta.

Louisa Condon Barrett ’68, Alumnae Board member and the late Ansley’s

close friend, reflected on the words spoken by Thornton Kennedy, Ansley’s godson, during his eulogy: “She was endlessly caring with people of all generations and all walks of life, and it was this gift that made her such a tremendous leader for Atlanta and beyond.”

If you’re interested in learning how you too can design a life of consequence by integrating volunteerism and leadership, join us in September and #BelikeBoyce.

FOCUS ON

Philanthropy Donor Spotlight

Jan Fuller ’78: “Giving to Hollins is a blessing for me”

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love Hollins. That is the bottom line for me.

From the first day I set foot on the campus (movein day in 1974), to the day I began working there as chaplain, and until now, I give thanks for the effect of Hollins in my life and leadership, in my sense of self, and even in my faith. In 24 years as chaplain, I witnessed the transformative nature of a Hollins education, of the experience of a women’s community, and the deep and broad community of Hollins women who are making the world a better place. I often give thanks for [former dean] Bridget Puzon, [former president] Nancy Gray, [former president] Paula Brownlee, [retired professor of music] Jim Leland, [late professor of English] John Cunningham, and so many others.

I have given to Hollins since I was a young graduate, small gifts to be sure, but small gifts add up to big ones. My mother taught, “The more you give, the richer you feel.” Earlier this year, when the tax bill threatened higher education institutions, I promised myself to make my commitment even more visible and real.

While I’m grateful for learning at Hollins how to creatively run a program “on a shoestring,” our best programs need to be supported with generous resources. The deeply spiritual nature of the Hollins campus, community, and educational endeavors is evident. Our efforts to appreciate the religious practices of all and to live respectfully with difference may be the way the human race will survive. I want to support the chaplaincy and interfaith commitments at Hollins, even when I’m gone.

I know that those who lead decision-making efforts at Hollins are careful and wise. I have seen them at work! Giving to Hollins is a blessing for me, as Hollins itself is. I want to give more, and estate planning is the way I can do it.

Fuller

The Rev. Dr. Jan Fuller is university chaplain and lecturer at the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life at Elon University.

Day of Giving passes goal Class of 1992 logged highest participation

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n March 8, International Women’s Day, 671 alumnae/i, students, faculty, staff, friends, parents, and spouses went online to support Hollins, surpassing the goal of 642, the average number of days a student spends at the university.

The class of 1992 had the best showing, with 41 classmates participating. Morning, afternoon, and evening challenges got the day started and kept the momentum going. The class of 1992 won the “morning class challenge” as the class not in reunion this year with the most donors before 12:00 p.m. EST. The classes of 1958 and 2016 tied in the “afternoon reunion class challenge,” and the class of 2006 dominated the “late-night young alumnae challenge.”

The night ended with Margaret Gibbs ’71 winning the “last-chance challenge” and a Hollins scarf by being the donor with the largest gift between 10:00 and 11:59 p.m. The total amount raised during the 24-hour challenge was $145,757.

For more about the day, visit hollins.edu/ dayofgiving or search #hollinsdayofgiving on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Spring 2018 9

Today.

Tomorrow.

Together.

WOR D S A N D PIC T U R E S F ROM P R E S I D E N T L AW R E N C E ’ S I N A U G U R A T I O N On February 24, Pareena G. Lawrence was installed as Hollins’ 12th president.

Alumnae panel members: Puja Sharma ’11, postdoctoral research fellow, Wake Forest Baptist Health; Shamecca Q. Bryant Jones ’04, head of U.S. operations, Carolina for Kibera, Inc.; Meredith Cope-Levy ’12, M.F.A. ’18, playwright and event coordinator for Hollins; and Elysse Stolpe ’10, assistant commonwealth’s attorney for Waynesboro, Va.

E . J U L I A “J U DY ” L A M B E T H ’ 73, chair, Board of Trustees

Photos by Michael Sink

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am privileged to present the descendants of our founder, Charles Lewis Cocke, who not only led Hollins with distinction, but was also a pioneer in women’s education and empowerment.

But we know that no single person was responsible for the establishment of this institution in 1842, and we want to salute and honor, in addition to the initial faculty, the mid-19thcentury enslaved people and others whose labor ensured Hollins’ survival during its early years.

We remain grateful to members of the Hollins Community, formerly known as the Oldfields Community. They, along with our founder, helped us become the institution we are today.

Descendants of the Hollins Community families have joined us this morning so that we may honor their ancestors, and I ask them to please stand if able so that we may pay tribute to their contributions.

Opposite page: Linda Koch Lorimer ’74 (left) and Judy Lambeth ’73, chair, Board of Trustees, induct President Lawrence.

Elizabeth McDonnell ’62 and Alexandra Trower ’86

A L E X A N D R A T R O W E R ’ 8 6 , member, Board of Trustees, in awarding an honorary degree to E L I Z A B E T H “ L I B B Y ” H A L L M C D O N N E L L ’6 2

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ou and your husband, James, have done more than anyone in recent years to enhance the arts and sciences here. Your extraordinary generosity in support of such initiatives as the restoration of the Hollins Theatre physical space, growing the theatre and playwriting programs, and renovating the Dana Science Building, which was rededicated yesterday, is nothing short of transformational. Hollins has also benefited from your insight over the past decade as a member of our Board of Trustees, where you exhibit that rare and wonderful capacity to ask the right questions at the right time.

Today, Libby McDonnell, in recognition of your achievements, Hollins University is privileged to bestow upon you the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa.

Spring 2018 11

Past Hollins presidents with President Lawrence (center): Nancy Oliver Gray, Rev. Janet Elaine Guthrie (Rasmussen), Walter Rugaber, and Paula Pimlott Brownlee

A N TON I A NAGL E ’18, president, Student Government Association

P Nagle

resident Lawrence can be found not just working in the Cocke Memorial Building, but also taking her First Step with the seniors, joyfully summiting Tinker Mountain, attending Roundtable meetings, playing board games in Tinker, and running with the cross-country team.

She is admired by students, not just for her efforts to truly connect with us, but also for her strong dedication to preserving the spirit and mission of Hollins while pushing us to grow in new and positive directions.

Nuñez

R ACH E L N U Ñ EZ , associate professor of history, faculty chair

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he has gotten to know the Hollins that we are and that we have been, but has also not been afraid to share her vision of what we need to do to meet the challenges ahead. She understands the value and work of faculty, and she is funny, warm, and authentic.

Holland

Isaiah Sweetenberg, groundskeeper, representing the enslaved people who played a part in Hollins’ history

ISA I A H SW EET EN BERG, groundskeeper

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am also a proud descendent of the enslaved people who at one time labored on this campus and helped this institution of higher learning prosper. So I am privileged to join you today to represent the staff as we celebrate an exciting new chapter in our history with the inauguration of Pareena Lawrence as our 12th president.

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S A R A H H O L L A N D ’6 4 , president, Alumnae Board

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am honored today to offer to our 12th president a grand total of 19,307 inaugural congratulations.

That is the number on record in our alumnae office of attendees, graduates, and graduate students on whose behalf I speak.

O’Loughlin President Lawrence with keynote speaker Indra K. Nooyi, chair and chief executive officer, PepsiCo

From keynote speech by I N D R A K . N O O Y I , chair and chief executive officer, PepsiCo

PA U L A O ’ L O U G H L I N , provost and dean of the faculty, Coe College

hen I became CEO of PepsiCo more than 11 years ago, I was convinced that PepsiCo—or any company hoping to succeed in the 21st century—needed a mission where we not only served our shareholders, but dedicated ourselves to the larger purpose of serving our communities, our employees, and our societies.

For 175 years, Hollins has, in its own way, embraced the idea of “Performance with Purpose.”

Your purpose has always been clear and steady: You are devoted to the elevation of the liberal arts and the education of women. This is a place where women are the singular focus of attention, in the classroom, on the field, in the lab, and at the highest levels of administration.

Virginia Woolf was partially right when she wrote that a woman needs a room of her own; what Hollins has shown is that women deserve a campus of their own.

But what about performance? My advice to those who love and lead Hollins is to think carefully and ambitiously about the performance you deliver, and how it can be even better. Because if there is anything I have learned in my years at the helm of a large global enterprise, it is that innovation is essential—that even the most outstanding institutions cannot afford to rest on their laurels, particularly at a time when a wave of megatrends is reshaping our world, from digital innovation to the rise of millennials.

e have been friends for 20-plus years, ever since we got to know each other as two young women assistant professors in kindred fields at the University of Minnesota-Morris.

I have known the boys—Aaron and Joshua—since they were born, functioning at different times as babysitter, honorary aunt, basketball opponent, and super fan at their T-ball games. I have taken great joy in being part of their lives, as well as Todd’s, for the last 20 years. I speak on their behalf as well as Padma, Pratap, and Sonali, Pareena’s parents and sister. They can’t be here in person today, but they are here in spirit.

We’re going to have an interactive class lesson here: In their honor and in honor of the importance of education for women throughout the world today, please join me in congratulating Pareena in Hindi. I’ll say it once and then ask you to join me. “Badhai ho, Pareena!”

W

W

Spring 2018 13

E X C E R P T S F R O M P R E S I D E N T L AW R E N C E ’ S S P E E C H

N

o matter what position in life you reach, when your child yells in the morning, “Mom, I can’t find my socks!

What did you do with them?” you go sock hunting. Before anyone can leave the house that morning, no matter what major speech you must give or important decision you must make, everyone needs socks on their feet— and somehow, that small detail grounds you in what really matters and re-centers you in this universe.

President Lawrence with her husband, Todd, and sons Joshua and Aaron

14 Hollins

As you know, I am an economist by training, but I am a university president by choice. Those of us who engage in the discipline of economics today are often more comfortable with equations, statistics, and numbers than we are with words. Modern economists do not typically concern themselves with metaphysical matters, the questions of spirit and soul. We’ve long thought that what really mattered was to quantify information and create economic models that would promote tangible economic growth and development, nationally and globally.

But in many ways, we were and are shortsighted.

Shortsighted because we overlooked the fact that every number, every demand curve, every statistical report on “intensive margins” is nothing but an abstraction, a mere reflection of human life and of the infinite series of decisions we make that constitute our numbered trips around the sun. We were late to the realization that we don’t move the demand curve by moving the supply curve. We move the demand curve by moving the hearts and minds, the dreams and aspirations, of the people around us.

Don’t get me wrong. I firmly believe that the discipline of economics is essential in understanding the world and how it operates, but it cannot address several of the world’s most pressing questions and their immeasurable answers. We are more than the sum of our parts. Thankfully, Hollins

and other institutions of higher learning grounded in the rich traditions of the liberal arts have never lost sight of what is truly important.

Ever since I was a young girl, I have always wanted to change the world.

It was indeed fortuitous when years later, I accepted a faculty position, which in my mind was only a temporary stop for me—but it turned out to be my calling. Just a few months into my new role, I quickly realized that preparing the next generation of leaders and change-makers, who will go on and leave their own mark on this world, has much more impact in magnitude than taking on this work of change on my own. This is what we economists call the multiplier effect—the power we have as educators. Indeed, I am so grateful to devote my life to education—preparing students to lead lives of consequence and change the world within their sphere of influence.

At Hollins, as 176 years of our forebears have shown, we will continue to reject choosing lives of quiet desperation— not because it is easy, but because we know no other way. We are called to a different sort of life, a life of noisy exuberance, a life of joy and hope, and life worth celebrating not because of our financial riches but because we are making a positive difference.

A difference in our own lives.

A difference in the lives of those we’ve touched in our lifetime.

And a difference in the lives of the thousands of students yet to come to Hollins whose lives will be enriched and strengthened by the choices we make right here. I want you to join me to build the Hollins of tomorrow so that we can continue the noble purpose of educating women who lead lives of consequence. By what Hollins can do … and must do … and will do. Today.

Tomorrow. Together.

Living a Life of CONSEQUENCE “Living a Life of Consequence: Hollins Students Changing the World” was the theme of President Lawrence’s inauguration. The four women on the following pages, each chosen by her academic division, represent some of the many ways students prepare not only to take on life’s challenges, but also to make changes along the way.

Spring 2018 15

DIVISION 1: HUMANITIES

Reaching Others with My Life Did you know your major before you started at Hollins, or did your experience here inspire that decision?

I had my major in mind before I came to Hollins. Writing has been a big part of my life since I was 10, and it has grown into one of the biggest passions I have. My writing experience has moved from solely being an emotional outlet to a personalized art form and advocacy tool. I was drawn to creative writing because it was flexible and allowed me to reach others with my life and other personal passions. I will say that being at Hollins and a part of the English department has made me love writing even more.

ALEXUS SMITH ’19,

who is majoring in English, sent an email responding to the following questions while she was in London on Hollins’ study abroad program.

16 Hollins

Tell me more about your appointment to the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD).

Sharon Meador

I was appointed by the former governor of Virginia after going through an application process with the board itself. I am in the training program and on the outreach committee. The committee is responsible for giving feedback on the board’s three training programs: YLA (youth leadership academy), PIP (partners in policy making), and the ADP (alumni development program). I feel that we must do our best to impact the lives of others in positive ways, even if we share different challenges.

The board’s goal is to promote empathy and better understanding.

Why did you choose to study in London?

How is your study abroad experience contributing to your development as a student and as a person of the world?

I chose London because I follow different disability news outlets

based in the UK, and honestly the ability to travel has always been something I have looked forward to, no matter where. There isn’t enough discussion about the possibility of travel within the disability community, and I want to be able to change that conversation. I think this experience has improved my ability to be flexible and cope in new environments. It’s helped open my eyes to how I live and how [travel] can help others live healthy lives through emotional and social support. Getting me to London was a team effort even before I landed, and it shows how positive energy can bring people together. Being here has made me more confident in my decisiveness and boldness.

I’m looking forward to bringing all my information to VBPD so that we can improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities.

What are your plans for after graduation? How has Hollins helped you shape those plans?

After Hollins I plan to go to grad school for my M.F.A. and start working toward my dream of creating my own magazine and running a nonprofit. I think the greatest impact Hollins has had in the shaping of that life goal is the loving professors and the friends I have made. A few months after being at Hollins I wanted to do a cerebral palsy awareness event, and with the help of friends and some hard work, the event has been a success since my first year.

DIVISION 2: SOCIAL SCIENCES

Building a Template of Corporate Culture

LORATO SEKWABABE ’19,

Michael Falco

business major

Lorato Sekwababe looks at the world through several lenses.

She is a native of Botswana.

She is fluent in both Setswana and English.

She is majoring in business and minoring in philosophy—and finds they complement each other in compelling ways.

Innately inquisitive, Sekwababe has adapted not only to a different country, but also to the very particular world of Hollins. When her friend Felicity Mampe ’17 told her that “Hollins was out of this world,” she says it piqued her curiosity. “I had never thought about going to a women’s college or being in Virginia. What would a women’s college in Virginia look like?”

What she found intrigued her.

“I didn’t expect to grow this much,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting the [small] classes, and how interactive it would be between the professors and students. I didn’t know I would like it this much. My confidence has grown tenfold.”

In fact, in just two and a half years as a Hollins student, she has had two internships in New York and one during her semester abroad in London. She sees internships as a way to combine her love of business with her enduring interest in philosophy, especially the importance of ethics in business.

Interning for two nonprofit organizations has been especially inspiring to Sekwababe. In New York, she worked for America Needs You, which raises money for first-generation college students.

In London, she interned for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which

supports the growth and development of young people. “I adore nonprofit culture,” Sekwababe says.

“Corporate culture can be strict and rigid, but the nice thing about nonprofits is the element of creativity, and of space where you can be creative and flexible.

That’s one thing for-profit corporate culture needs.”

As she observes the differences in the business world—between profit and nonprofit and between one country and another—she is building her own “template of corporate culture,” which she hopes one day to employ in her native Botswana. Although after graduation she would like to explore other countries and business cultures, she eventually “would like to be back in Botswana and maybe start a consultancy there. I would like to work with other businesses at home and make sure they have a good corporate culture that’s efficient and that treats people as people.” She would like to take everything she has learned in college and on the job to “make Botswana a hub of business ethics.”

Spring 2018 17

DIVISION 3: SCIENCE AND MATH

Finding My Academic Direction As a Horizon student, what drew you to Hollins? Did you know your major before you began?

NATASHA G. BESTROM ’18,

a biology major, emailed her responses from the Center for Tropical Island Biodiversity in Bocas del Toro, Panama, where she is spending her spring semester.

Hollins is my first college experience.

I always wanted to go to college, but life happened and after high school I worked as a veterinary technician for 10 years. I knew that the veterinary industry was not where I wanted to work for the rest of my life, so when I moved to Roanoke I started looking for a school with a biology major. I have always wanted to work in the sciences, and a degree in biology was the perfect fit. Hollins stuck out to me first because of its nontraditional student program, but then during my visit it just felt right. Everyone was so welcoming and accepting of adult students.

I really appreciated that Horizon students had the opportunity to be a part of the community in every way. I felt immediately at home.

Was there a course that was transformative for you?

“I am holding a poison dart frog that I collected in the rainforest while conducting a research project looking at size, color morphology, and sex of poison dart frogs on the different islands in the Bocas del Toro archipelago.”

18 Hollins

Through the Caribbean Ecology course, I found my academic direction. This is a J-Term class that allows students to get a firsthand look into ecology in a Caribbean island landscape on the island of St. John, USVI. The course includes an intense preparation period.

We also get to experience research in the field, as we work in teams on research questions, methodology, data collection, and data analysis.

We present our findings in the Science Seminar.

It is because of my work during four J-Terms on St. John that I was able to formulate a senior thesis research project on a threatened

coral species in the Caribbean, elkhorn coral. I defended my thesis in late January of this year and received honors in biology. I am also elated to say that my manuscript has been sent out in search of publication.

What inspired you to study abroad?

What are you studying?

I am using my final semester to study abroad at the Center for Tropical Island Biodiversity in Bocas del Toro, Panama, through the School for Field Studies. I am taking courses in resource management, coastal marine ecology, rainforest ecology, and environmental policy and socioeconomic values with a focus on tourism. This experience has been wonderful. Not only am I learning more about the interface between the terrestrial environment and the marine environment, but I am also learning so much more about myself.

What are your plans for after graduation?

After graduating in May, I plan to take a year off before going to graduate school for a master’s degree in marine biology. Without my experiences through Hollins and the help of invested faculty, I firmly believe that I would not be pursuing education beyond a bachelor’s degree, nor would I have found my passion in marine ecosystems.

DIVISION 4: ARTS

The Art of Life MEERA CHAUHAN ’19,

Sharon Meador

studio art major

Meera Chauhan can pinpoint exactly when the trajectory of her life altered. It was the summer after her first year at Hollins.

Thanks to the recommendation of Elise Schweitzer, assistant professor of art, she got into the six-week painting intensive at the Mount Gretna School of Art. The experience “changed everything for me,” she remembers. “It was like eight hours a day painting and drawing.”

Before she started at Hollins, Chauhan had her life planned out. She would double major in psychology and art, with the expectation that she would get a master’s degree in art therapy.

After that transformative summer in Pennsylvania, however, she reversed her emphasis, with a major in studio art and a minor in psychology. “My parents were skeptical at first,” she says. “I told them, ‘I want to do art.’ Now they’re fully on board.”

In fact she has organized her academic life around studio art, with an internship in London with Leah Michelle ’09, helping Michelle organize an art fair; by showing her work in a “new voices” art exhibition in nearby Floyd, Virginia; by focusing on her painting during a J-Term independent study; and by soaking up everything she can from Hollins’ art professors, visiting artists, and alumnae.

“The art program here is really good,” she says. “Elise [Schweitzer] and Jennifer [Anderson Printz]: They are big names right now.

We have beautiful spaces. We have a small program that’s really focused.

Sometimes I think, ‘Oh, I should have gone to an art school.’ But I’m

glad I’m here getting a liberal arts education. The opportunities here are incredible.” After she graduates from Hollins, she plans to get an M.F.A. (she’s looking at schools in the Midwest and Northeast) and teach at the university level.

Although Chauhan is still exploring how to express herself (she is currently reading about the similarities and differences between the work of Giorgio Morandi and Wayne Thiebaud), her primary theme right now is the concept of home, which for her is … “complicated.” Her parents, both of Indian descent, were born in Kenya, moved to the United Kingdom, where Chauhan and her brother were born, and relocated to Sterling, Virginia, when she was three. During J-Term 2017, which she spent at home painting, she focused on “cultural identity, the disconnect I have with ‘home,’” she says. “I did a portrait of my grandmother in front of a painting we have of Mount Kilimanjaro, which is where my parents are from.”

Other paintings included such items as “Indian clothing, colors, and accessories that have always been crucial to my home life.

“We have always been immigrants,” she says of her family.

And that has proved to be a profound subject to explore in her art.

Spring 2018 19

SCIENCE

BY DESIGN DANA SCIENCE BUILDING MAY LOOK UNCHANGED ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT THE INSIDE OF THE 51-YEAR-OLD BUILDING HAS BEEN COMPLETELY REVAMPED, WITH NEW LABS, OFFICES, AND STUDY SPACES. THE DEDICATION OF DANA TOOK PLACE ON FEBRUARY 23, THE DAY BEFORE PRESIDENT LAWRENCE’S INAUGURATION.

20 Hollins

I

n 1967, Dana Science Building opened with much fanfare—along with a National Award of Merit from the American Institute of Architects. To meet the rising interest among students in the STEM field, Hollins recently undertook a $6.5 million renovation of Dana, the building’s first major overhaul since its construction. Renovation highlights include: • Refreshed lobby area, featuring a wall constructed from the soapstone tabletops from the old chemistry labs • Five new labs (two for biology and three for physics), with new research and instrument spaces for both departments • Four refreshed labs • New office suites with six offices on the biology hall, six offices on the chemistry and physics hall, and a group study space in each suite • Chemistry research and project space Officiating during the ribbon-cutting ceremony were President Lawrence, James and Libby McDonnell ’62, Dee Marley ’81, and Judy Lambeth ’72, chair of the Board of Trustees.

A former president of Hollins, Paula Brownlee, herself a chemist, had this to say during the dedication of Dana: “What a joy it is to see this space so thoughtfully and creatively redesigned to meet the needs of today’s students.”

Photos by Michael Sink

During one of the open houses, Mary Rash ’21, Kendra Rich ’19, and President Lawrence, demonstrate the cold-flame “burning bush” experiment in which paper money is “burned” without being destroyed.

Brian Gentry, physics, uses a Slinky to demonstrate transverse and longitudinal waves during an inauguration open house.

This wall of colorful lines in the main hallway shows the DNA sequence of the great horned owl, which can be found throughout North America—including on the Hollins campus.

HOW DOES THE BUILDING ENHANCE TEACHING? Daniel Derringer, associate professor and chair, chemistry

Renee Godard, professor and Janet W. Spear Chair, biology

The new research labs were designed to be used by students to conduct the research they’re required to do as part of their major. The model we use is like the graduate school model.

Students here are required to do a semester or year of research.

More often than not, students get involved in the research faculty are doing. Our students are experiencing hands-on learning in some truly remarkable, exceptionally modern workspaces. They already love how spacious and bright the new rooms are.

The two new labs are devoted to courses on the cellular level, while the other three labs, which were more lightly renovated, will be used for organismal and field-based courses. I am delighted with these spaces. The technology and arrangement of tables enable me to teach seminar courses and upper-level courses in the labs. This allows a fluid transition from collaborative discussion and student presentations to practical hands-on activities. The labs offer more storage space for field equipment and are friendlier spaces for the dirt, water, and outdoor specimens that are a part of ecological projects.

Brian Gentry, visiting assistant professor, physics Physics is an active discipline, and the bright and open spaces allow space for movement of both minds and bodies. The dry-erase boards and dry-erase wall in the main room facilitate the flipped classroom in which students work together in groups to solve problems. In addition, this room doubles as a computer lab with the new laptops and is frequently used by the math department.

The smaller lab is used for independent studies and student study space. It will be the future home of research and more advanced student projects.

MAJOR SUPPORTERS Elizabeth “Libby” Hall McDonnell ’62 and James McDonnell St. Louis Community Foundation Dickson Foundation, Inc. (Dee Williamson Marley ’81) Lyda Hill Foundation Helen S. and Charles G. Patterson Jr. Charitable Trust Cameron McDonald Vowell ’68 and J. Scott Vowell

Spring 2018 21

BECOMING who you were MEA NT to BE

B Y J E F F H O D G E S M . A . L . S . ’ 11

Executive Director of Career Development Karen Cardozo says her calling is helping students and alumnae achieve the flexible mindset needed to stay agile in a fast-changing world.

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.

Sharon Meador

T

his line from T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets is a fitting coda for the circular resume of Karen Cardozo, whose first job after college was in career services at Harvard University and who in January became the new executive director of career development at Hollins. In a role that integrates her multifaceted background in new ways, Cardozo is sharing a passion and a philosophy she’s crafted from a journey that has encompassed career counseling, administration, teaching, research, and even an ongoing avocation as a singer-songwriter. She got there by following the advice she gives others: Stay true to yourself while being open to unexpected opportunities.

After Harvard, Cardozo served in multiple dean’s roles at Mount Holyoke College before completing her Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts–Amherst and teaching on all campuses of the Five College Consortium of Western Massachusetts. She later directed the Career Discovery Program at Williams College, and came to Hollins from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the Berkshires, where she was associate professor of interdisciplinary studies.

“According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the core motivation of my personality is empowering others,” Cardozo explains. “Career development gives me a license to serve students from every major, and study all fields of employment. It’s a broad purview that I find endlessly fascinating and stimulating, especially as things constantly change.

“I spent time at Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, and Smith, and understand the unique value of a women’s college.

I taught leadership and women’s studies and I’m writing a book about claiming authenticity and well-being in one’s career and life. How could I not embrace

the opportunity to implement a distinctive career development and life design program at Hollins?”

According to Cardozo, three key questions underscore the new Career Center programs: • Who Am I and Where Am I Going? is a spiritual query that goes beyond the task of getting a job to a larger sense of purpose or vocation: career as calling. “Grappling with this question is what leads us to fulfilling lives of consequence.”

• How Do I Get There? highlights the familiar aspects of job hunting, from using search engines, social media, and other networking tools, to writing resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews, and understanding workplace etiquette. “What’s unique is that we also introduce principles of design thinking as shown by Stanford professors Burnett and Evans in Designing Your Life, as well as agile and growth mindsets that foster innovation and job creation. Students are encouraged to research existing gaps or needs that align with their interests and propose a job to employers.”

four tracks that “showcase the power of the liberal arts. Insights from the Field brings together alumnae from different sectors around a common theme. Issues of Interest will engender lively discussions on topics ranging from gender and diversity in the workplace to handling risk and adversity. Navigating the Process tackles common questions such as whether or when to attend graduate school and allows alumnae to reflect on major transitions in their own lives.

And Experiential Networking connects alumnae and students one-on-one.

“It’s not that these things weren’t already happening at C3,” Cardozo notes. “They are just being repackaged in a way that we hope will be more clear and inviting to students and the campus community.”

Even though she has not been at Hollins long, Cardozo has already met scores of alumnae at various events, including the October 2017 C3. To her, “the strengths of liberal education endure: Our alumnae have shown the wherewithal to navigate life’s changes effectively.” Cardozo recently delivered a well-received keynote to alumnae at

To Cardozo, “the strengths of liberal education endure: Our alumnae have shown the wherewithal to navigate life’s changes effectively.”

• How Did YOU Get There? connects students to career mentors. “One of the most daunting aspects for today’s students is networking. Our Career Connection Conference (C3) and other Career Center events enable students to engage with guest speakers and one another face-to-face. It’s great and affirming practice.”

Cardozo is particularly excited about C3, an annual event she calls “a pure gem. It speaks to the vibrant network that makes the investment in a Hollins education a lifelong return.” She says the C3 planning committee has created

the Boyce Lineberger Ansley Leadership Summit (see p. 8): “Designing a Life That’s Authentic, Resilient, and (Even a Bit) Wild.” Over time, she hopes to include more career development programs for alumnae.

“The ‘circle’ of my career suggests that it’s never too late to become who you were meant to be. As I once heard an Indian monk say, ‘On the path to selfrealization there’s no right way or wrong way, only a short way or long way.’”

Jeff Hodges is Hollins’ director of public relations.

Spring 2018 23

Remembering Life Before the Commas As you pass the big 5-0 and head for the equally significant 3-0, what really matters?

48 Hollins

O

Sarah Sprigings

BY SARAH ACHENBACH ’88

n a milestone birthday two years ago, well-wishers, refrigerator magnets, and Facebook all pronounced that 50 is the new 30.

They lied. I didn’t feel anywhere near 30 before, on, or since my birthday.

Fifty felt more like the new 62. Two boys 10 years apart, a full-time job, 10-plus weekly loads of laundry, sporadic moisturizing, and a five-decade love affair with sitting will do that.

Spoiler alert: If you were born after 1993, 50 may seem like a very long way away. It’s not. Enjoy your skin tone while you can. If you passed the 50 mile-marker years ago, go ahead and laugh. Better yet, email me to let me know just how young I am.

On June 1, though, almost-52 will be the new 21. I’m not delusional or undergoing a surgical procedure. That’s the day my classmates and I arrive at Hollins to celebrate our 30th reunion.

Yes, it’s our first reunion in our fifties, but no matter. The women in the class of 1988 are the only people on the planet who don’t notice if I get older.

They don’t see that my hair is graying and thinning or that I now peer at them through trifocals. And though I have neglected friendships since we last saw each other five years ago, they don’t care.

We will pick up right where we left off, even if it was May 1988. Nor do they care about the other things I have neglected as I have gotten older. My career path.

Retirement savings. My pelvic floor.

And lines, so many lines—fine lines at my eyes, my waistline, gum line.

None of that matters. To them, I haven’t aged a day since commencement.

To most people in my life, what comes after the comma is what defines me. Sarah, Henry and Charlie’s mom.

Sarah, coworker. Sarah, neighbor with the wonky Christmas lights. Or Sarah, person who pays for a gym membership and never goes. At reunion, I get to be just Sarah.

I also get to reconnect with the person I was before the commas and with a group of comma-filled women I love and admire. Graduating from college in the 1980s meant that we were expected to “have it all.” And after a few fits and starts and balancing acts no one really talked about in that decade, we have. We are doctors, lawyers, mothers, teachers, artists, CEOs, wives, nonprofit and community leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians, cancer survivors. And on and on.

Half a century into my life and three decades past my college days, I now see just how much life gets in the way of who I thought I would become back in 1988. I had big plans, so sure that “You go, girl!” would drive my days.

Turns out my daily life typically pivots on three other words—“What’s for dinner?” But bubbling under the surface of pots of spaghetti, loads of laundry, and the trail of Cheez-Its my sons leave in my house are plans for the next 50 years. I know just the people and place to bring out the 21-year-old who can make them happen.

At our last reunion, I said that “every five years, your feet need to touch Front Quad to recalibrate.” That’s no lie.

Sarah Achenbach is a freelance writer living in Baltimore.

Hollins THE

EXPERIENCE

Sharon Meador

Danielle “Dani” Raymond ’18

THE HOLLINS FUND

HOMETOWN: Fredericksburg, Virginia

By giving annually to the Hollins Fund, you support the education of exceptional Hollins women like Dani.

DOUBLE MAJORS IN: English and communication studies ALSO PURSUING: Certificate in Leadership Studies HIGHLIGHTS: At Hollins, I’ve gotten to explore different aspects of athletics.

I’ve interned with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the Commonwealth Games of Virginia, and Virginia Tech’s Office of Student-Athlete Development. On campus, I’m the captain of the swim team and SGA’s athletic chair. My favorite experiences at Hollins have been acting as master of ceremonies for Tinker Day and being a reunion student worker.

AFTER GRADUATION: I’ll be attending VCU’s Center for Sport Leadership, where I’ll obtain an M.Ed. in athletic leadership.

Supporting Outstanding Students

Three ways to give: - Online through our secure website at www.hollins.edu/ giveonline - Via check to the Hollins Fund, Hollins University, Box 9629, Roanoke, VA 24020 - By calling us with your credit card number: (800) TINKER1 (800-846-5371)