A day of triumph was declared on the Scripps College campus today as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ ’93 continued recovery was affirmed by her appearance on ABC’s 20/20 and the national release of the congresswoman’s memoir, Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, was cheered. The celebration took place 10 months after a very different campus and community gathering, a Candlelight Circle of Hope, that took place following the assassination attempt on Rep. Giffords, which left six dead and seriously injured her.
Photo by Nigel Parry/People.com
Scripps College President Lori Bettison-Varga read a personal letter from Giffords’ husband, astronaut Mark Kelly. In the letter he said, “Gabby attributes her keen sense of curiosity and her ability to lead to those formative years at Scripps College.”
Bettison-Varga was joined at the podium by Kelly Hewitt ’08, director of the Scripps College Academy, who spoke about Giffords as an important role model for young women; Claire Bridge ’82, who relayed the impact on herself and her daughter, Meghan Bridge ’09, of Giffords’ 2009 Scripps College Commencement address; and personal recollections of Gabby from Janel Henriksen Hastings ’91.
“Gabrielle is a role model, not just for our students, but for all women and for all Americans. She did not shy away from her calling to be a leader. With grace and determination, she has become an outstanding and courageous public servant,” Bettison-Varga said. “Gabrielle Giffords’ career shows that she is fiercely independent — framing her positions on issues thoughtfully and humanely, and, in the words of our founder, Ellen Browning Scripps, ‘with confidence, courage and hope.'”
A letter from Gabrielle Giffords' husband Mark Kelly thanks the Scripps College community for its continued support.
The celebration also included an opportunity for guests to write notes to Giffords, drawing for five copies of her new book, a performance from a mariachi band, and refreshments.
The 2009 Scripps commencement speaker, Giffords is the College’s first graduate elected to a national office. In 2006, the Democratic congresswoman won the seat to represent Arizona’s 8th district in the U.S. House of Representatives. She became the first woman to represent Arizona in Congress in more than a decade. As a Fulbright scholar after Scripps, Giffords spent a year in Chihuahua, Mexico, researching Old Colony Mennonites.
The mission of Scripps College is to develop in its students the ability to think clearly and independently, and the ability to live confidently, courageously, and hopefully.
The Southern California event began at 10:30 a.m. PST at Holden Court, Malott Commons, on the Scripps campus in Claremont, Calif.