Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Thanks Giving Letter to Class of 1978

November 11, 2009

Dear member of the Smith Class of '78

A short message and update on our Class of '78 Fulfill the Potential project.

Liz George and I went to Smith in October for the Ford Hall opening. We met with current Fullfill the Potential-type "developing world and post-conflict nation" students - a wonderful array of young women from Zimbabwe, Togo, Mauritius, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Afganistan - each and everyone an example of the amazing potential for a Smith education to change the world. We met Roya, who is the first person in her entire family to attend college (from Afganistan), we met Florentine, who is a masters in education student, we met Bhavna, Ilda, Sigma, and Yeliha and we met Aigerim, whose story is pasted below.

After meeting the students and listening to each one of their stories about how they reached Smith, and hearing from them about their aspirations (engineer, physician, scientist . . . ) we walked over to the Ford Hall opening together - an event that could not have been a better choice - because we hard from a panel of Smith alumnae about their achievements in Math and Science and Engineering - truly inspirational stories.

Liz and I were amazed by the grit and determination, the inner beauty and the aspirations of these young women. I hope that you too will have an opportunity to meet them. This Thanksgiving, we're organizing opportunities for the current FTP students to be hosted by class of 1978 families. Let me know if you would like to invite one of these young women into your homes.

In the meantime, I am asking you again for your contribution to the Smith College Fulfill the Potential Project. Last time I wrote you, we raised $1000. That's WONDERFUL. But we have about $90,000 to go to meet our first year objective. Thank you VERY MUCH to the 10 classmates who contributed for the first time between September and October. Thank you especially to Susan and Barbara who each gave $2000! Would you join them with a one time contribution now, before Thanksgiving? Would you join the group that is donating a small amount every month ($78, or $31 or other creative numbers . . . )?

I am putting my contribution out there to match yours. If you contribute now, I will match your gift up to my ability to match in this round - up to $3100, ($100 for every year that we have been away from Smith). So that's potentially $6100 that we can raise this month!

Please consider a gift now. Read the stories on our blog, including one from Aigerim, one of the students who is currently attending Smith. I've put our picture below the story, right next to the information about contributing.

I hope you'll take a minute more out of your life to read this, and to follow the links, and to give thanks for the wonderful opportunities that Smith education gave you and is giving to these young women, right now.

Thank you

Annie De Groot '78

From one of your classmates (Priscilla Bremser, '78)

December 30th 2009:

I'm giving to the "Fulfill the Potential" fund because it allows me to honor Smith and its mission while simultaneously addressing global concerns. We are actively extending our mission -- educating "women of promise for lives of distinction" -- to areas of the world that need it most.

Best,

Priscilla

Priscilla Bremser
Professor, Department of Mathematics
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753