Reunion

A Message from the President of Mills College

It’s an exciting year at Mills and I hope you will join us for a very special Reunion, during which we will celebrate the College’s recommitment to women’s education! This year’s Reunion also marks a significant anniversary for me: it will be the 20th Reunion I have celebrated with Mills alumnae since my arrival at the College. I remember my first Reunion, in October 1991. It was a time of great joy to be welcomed into the community of Mills women.

Reunion 1991 also provided the occasion for my inauguration. During my inaugural address, I said, “What makes Mills so special is that for 139 years, women—their voices, their ways of knowing, their ways of living— have been central to this educational enterprise. When I conjure up an image of ‘the Mills woman,’ I see a person distinguished by her love of learning and of life. I see a strong woman, a proud woman.”

I spoke these words when the Strike of 1990 was still fresh in everyone’s minds. More than anything, what I wanted to accomplish as President was to ensure that Mills would be for women—forever.

With your help, the College is succeeding. Today, Mills serves as an international model for providing undergraduate education for women and strong graduate programs for women and men. We have become stronger academically and more diverse in all aspects of the College since the Strike. And, as we attract more applicants, Mills is able to become more selective and offer admission to the most promising students. At the same time, thanks to the generosity of alumnae and other donors, we are able to offer financial aid that makes a Mills education more affordable. New programs link the liberal arts to more specialized graduate and professional education on campus—sometimes, as with our 4+1 programs, on an accelerated schedule.

We will celebrate these successes together this fall. As the traditional Mills song says, “Remember the friends you’ve made here, and don’t forget to come back some day . . . For you belong to Mills, and Mills belongs to you.” It has been a privilege and a pleasure to share Mills with you, and I hope you will join me on campus at Reunion 2010, Mills: For Women, Again and Again.

Sincerely,
Janet L. Holmgren