Supporting and rewarding students
Mount Holyoke college is consistently ranked as one of the private schools with the “Best Alumni Networks” and we are proud to be an active part of this success story. Our international alum network works closely with the college to support its educational programming, and it is also thanks to our network that MHC graduates are able to forge bonds and friendships that last a lifetime.
As global alums, we support the global leaders of the future, before and during their Mount Holyoke experience. In China, the country of origin of the highest number of international students these days, in cooperation with the Admissions Office alums traditionally host a “welcome” lunch for the newly admitted students and their families.
Opening our global welcoming arms
Working with the McCulloch Center
Thanks to our close cooperation with the McCulloch Center for Global Initiatives every semester MHC students studying abroad can count on the warmth and welcoming support of our global alum network. All over the world students abroad are invited to participate in local activities, mingling with alums of all backgrounds and nationalities. It is always amazing to see how easily we can interact and overcome generational barriers: our common MHC bond is stronger than anything.
Study abroad students who are in Europe during a Symposium year are also offered the opportunity to join the fun and attend the event for free thanks to a special award named in lasting memory of the European Alum Council founder, Renee Scialom Cary ’48. The participants must submit an essay titled: “A Mount Holyoke education is a key to the world”, quite an appropriate topic for a MHC future alum!
Our winners in 2024 were:
Elsa Kulatunga ’26, Dublin, Ireland
Hanh Minh Pham ’26, Edinburgh, Scotland
Kate Vavra ’26, Montpellier, France
Madeline Greenberg ’26, Paris, France
Siyu Lan ’25, Geneva, Switzerland
It has been a joy to welcome students to our Symposia since 2015 and then to see them coming back as alums in the following years. We are truly proud to be supporting the future of our community!
A special annual award for graduates coming to Europe
European Alum Council Award for Graduate Study in Europe
In Europe we are also proud of our annual European Alum Council Award for Graduate Study in Europe. This program, launched in 2017 in cooperation with the McCulloch Center, offers a monetary reward to a Mount Holyoke graduating senior who wishes to pursue graduate work in Europe. The latest winner of the award is Claire Fitzgerald '25, who will pursue a Masters in Sustainable Energy Sciences at Reykjavik University in Iceland. Claire's winning essay, which was selected by the members of the McCulloch team, celebrates the values of an international education and elaborates on her interest in studying issues that are globally significant and urgent, like climate change and sustainable innovation. Well done to Claire!
Past winners of European Alum Council Award for Graduate Study in Europe are...
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Mary Pura ’17 – to pursue a master’s degree program in English Literature and Society at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland
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Emily Castner ’18 – to pursue an International Master’s program in Mathematics at Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Germany
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Javeria Kella ’19 – to pursue a master’s degree in development studies at the Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
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Ann C. Hewitt ’20 – Ancient Studies & Anthropology, to pursue a postgraduate degree program in Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland
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Yitongyue Lin (Lilian) ’21 – International Relations & Spanish, to pursue an MS in Sustainable Development at the University of St Andrews, Scotland
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Maya Mauroof ’22 – International Relations, to pursue a master’s degree in interdisciplinary international Affairs at the Graduate Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
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Natalie O’Neil ’23 – Russian & Eurasian Studies with a minor in Politics, to pursue a MSc at the University of Glasgow in Media, Communications, and International Journism
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Kathryn (Kit) Corcoran '24 - pursuing a MSc in Management and Marketing at University College Cork, Ireland
