By Emily Glory Peters
After two years of virtual festivities, Scripps College welcomed back the classes of years ending in two and seven for an on-campus Reunion Weekend in April. More than 300 alumnae and their guests enjoyed two days of well-loved reunion traditions, including convocation and the medal ceremony for the 50th reunion class, as well as new events, like Scripps’ Celebration of Generosity, recognizing how alums make a difference for students.
“The Celebration of Generosity was a joyful return to iconic Margaret Fowler Garden and a chance to show the collective impact of the hundreds of friends, family, and alumnae who give back to Scripps each year through volunteering and donations,” says Assistant Vice President of Institutional Engagement Virginia Halverson. “It was inspiring to hear from so many members of the community and to be back together in honor of all that we have achieved together. ”
Reunion alums had a hand in raising a significant number of gifts this year, with classes from across the decades contributing more than $1 million in cash and pledges to Scripps.
Almost $240,000 went to endowed scholarships—one of the most popular giving areas for alumnae—including significant gifts made to the scholarship established by the Class of 1962. Over the years, graduating classes have endowed dozens of new scholarships, opening doors for students to partake in the Scripps experience just as those who came before them.
Those who couldn’t come to campus were also able to participate in some virtual programming. At convocation, all classes gathered together from either a seat in Balch Auditorium or from the comfort of their home to hear an original poem by Chair of the Board of Trustees and Poet Laureate of Los Angeles Lynne Thompson ’72, College highlights from Interim President Amy Marcus-Newhall, and to congratulate the four 2022 alumnae association awardees: Sara Kim ’86, Pacifica Sommers ’07, Catherine Myman-Kaplan ’00, and Tempe Javitz ’71.
“The stories shared by the awardees were powerful,” says Director of Alumnae Engagement Kendra Pineda. “They’re another reminder of how brilliant and dynamic the Scripps alum community really is.” Reunion participant Sarah Watkins ’97 agrees: “It was great to see my classmates and nice to talk with other class years and be reminded how great Scripps women are.”
Reunion Weekend is one of Scripps’ most beloved traditions. See the full event photo album at Scripps’ Flickr account here and please click here to make a gift in honor of reunion or a classmate.