Messages to the community regarding COVID-19

Congratulations on your graduation from Mount Holyoke, and welcome to the Alumnae Association. Your journey beyond the gates has only just begun. As the president of the Alumnae Association, it’s my honor to share with you a short welcome video.

In a show of support during this trying time, alums came together — as we often do — to welcome you with a virtual Laurel Parade. We’ve assembled photos submitted from around the world into a video for you to enjoy. We look forward to the day that we all can be together again on campus to celebrate with you and march in the Laurel Parade together.

We are thinking of you, and we hope that you stay healthy, safe and connected. I’m looking forward to seeing you in my reunion whites and wearing my class scarves at the Annual Meeting on June 6!

Maria Z. Mossaides ’73, P’04
President, Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke

Dear alumnae,

So much has changed, and quickly, since I reached out almost two weeks ago when Mount Holyoke was in the very early stages of responding to COVID-19. I have heard directly from alumnae about how their lives have changed. Mine has, too.
 

I’m reaching out today to keep you all informed and to be sure you’ve received the news that was shared by President Sonya Stephens on Monday.
 

Among the updates President Stephens shared is the heartbreaking news that a decision has been made to postpone Reunion 2020. At this time, she says, “safety and good health come above celebration.” To those of you who were invited back to celebrate your reunions in May — including all of the athletes from the equestrian, rowing, and swimming and diving teams who were to be among the first to take part in these affinity group reunions — please know that we plan to work with your class boards and others on how we will celebrate you in the future.
 

Alumnae who had registered for Reunion 2020 will be contacted by the Alumnae Association directly in the coming days. Those registered will be issued a refund or may opt to request that all or part of their reunion payments be redirected as a tax-deductible charitable gift to the Emergency Student Relief (COVID-19) Fund. Thanks to the generosity of so many of you, more than $109,000 has already been raised to directly help our students.
 

At this moment, more than ever, we at the Alumnae Association are focused on filling the gap left with so many of us no longer able to be together physically. We are launching today a renewed focus on providing more opportunities for you to engage with each other in a virtual landscape and will be housing all of those offerings and resources on our Powered By Mount Holyoke page.
 

I want to also remind you that the class notes section in the Alumnae Quarterly is a place to connect, and that now is the time to be reaching out to your class scribe for the summer issue. Find your scribe’s information here. And if you are looking to reach out to a classmate or Mount Holyoke friend directly during this time, remember that you can search in our Alumnae Directory.
 

Last, as many of you saw earlier this month, I shared that Alumnae Association Executive Director Nancy Bellows Perez ’76 will be retiring in June. When Nancy announced her retirement in early February, none of us imagined that we would be weathering the challenges that all of us face each day now. I am grateful to Nancy for continuing to lead the effort on behalf of the Alumnae Association to be sure we are supporting all of you during these trying times. In the meantime, if you have an interest in learning more about this role please reach out directly to Danetta Beaushaw ’88.
 

I hope that you are all taking care of yourselves and each other. I am more proud than ever of the strong bonds I see between Mount Holyoke alums and the way we continue to carry forth the traditions of supporting each other and the College — traditions established by Mary Lyon and those earliest students and alumnae.

With gratitude and best wishes,
 
Maria Z. Mossaides ’73
President, Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke

Dear alumnae,

I’m reaching out today to update you on Mount Holyoke’s response to the novel coronavirus. As you likely already know, the College is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 in coordination with state and local officials and Five College partners. Yesterday, President Sonya Stephens sent a letter to the community sharing the news that Mount Holyoke is moving to a virtual learning model, starting March 30.

The Mount Holyoke College leadership team is meeting daily, and we will continue to follow the protocols set in partnership with the College, which are updated regularly and can be found here.

In the true spirit of Mount Holyoke, many of you have reached out to us and among each other to inquire about how you can help the students. And for this, I want to thank you. Your willingness — and eagerness – to step in and offer your support and assistance is a bright moment during this time of uncertainty.

We are working closely with the Vice President of Student Affairs, and while we know many of you have offered to house students or store their belongings, she has suggested strongly that the best way to channel your resources to students at this time is to donate to an emergency fund. Contributions for students affected by the COVID-19 outbreak can be made to the Emergency Student Relief (COVID-19) fund. This fund, to be administered through the Office of Student Life, will provide support to students for travel and a wide variety of other needs associated with this unprecedented event. Please select Emergency Student Relief (COVID-19) in the drop-down menu on the College’s giving page.

We have also heard many questions regarding Reunion 2020. At this time, all on-campus events through May 5 have been cancelled by the current policy, and there has not yet been any decision on Commencement and Reunion. We are still accepting Reunion registrations at this time, and we will update the Reunion page regularly with any additional information. We will share this information directly with reunion chairs and class presidents as well.

The Alumnae Association will also share the College’s updates through social media channels. Again, we encourage you to bookmark this page, which will have the most up-to-date information from Mount Holyoke, including a detailed FAQ section.

I am proud to be a member of this Mount Holyoke community, even more so today.

With gratitude and best wishes,

Maria Z. Mossaides ’73
President, Alumnae Association of Mount Holyoke