Reconnecting, story by story
In May I attended my 30th Wheaton reunion and was struck by the depth and breadth of stories I heard from alums—some of whom I never, or rarely, spoke to while we were students.
Among those conversations was one with Sandra (Sable) Gilpatrick ’95 and Shiwei Julia Huang ’15. Sandra and my academic and extracurricular circles did not overlap; instead, we later became friends as new moms and independent business owners in Boston. My interaction with Shiwei, who interned with Sandra, was brief yet brimming with joy. In just a few minutes it was clear to see the mutual affection between the two, and I was in awe, hearing the depth of Sandra’s commitment to providing opportunities for Wheaton students, and Shiwei’s commentary about how Sandra’s guidance has changed her life.
It shouldn’t be surprising that I was so moved by these stories; part of my professional work involves helping organizations and brands bring their impact stories to life. But there was something else that I will be plain about. Immediately after graduating, I was a very involved Wheaton alum—I made Annual Fund calls, sat on boards, spoke on panels and answered every Wheaton request with an enthusiastic yes. And then 20 years ago when my father died, I became a parent, and left academia to build a new creative career from scratch, my Wheaton tank dried up and I checked out.
In the passing years, I have been swept along in the tidal wave of activity that accompanies raising humans and being an entrepreneur, and at this particular phase in my life I still don’t have the bandwidth to sit on boards, but after that incredibly moving day at Wheaton—where I felt my reconnection spark with my classmates, as well as faculty and staff who helped me realize my value and voice—I wanted to do something.
And so, I decided to follow my own mantra about volunteering—which is to step into the ring in a way that is aligned to your skills and brings joy. I reached out to Wheaton and offered to donate my skills, service and platform to bring a five-feature alum interview series to life—start to finish. I want to bring to light the stories of alums across classes who are connecting, changing one another’s trajectories and impacting lives across different walks of life. I didn’t want to simply throw a suggestion into the suggestion box because I know that ideas are one thing, and action is another. I was so delighted when the communications team said yes!
I hope this series, which is forthcoming on the college’s alumni website, will help you see yourself as a piece of the unique fabric that is the Wheaton College family. I hope you may feel moved to reconnect, to offer your hand if you have the bandwidth or to make a friendly connection. In tough times especially, we need one another, and this past spring I was reminded that Wheaton can be a caring anchor in stormy times.
Stay tuned for the first feature in this series. And if you know of—or are yourself—a pair of alums in different classes who have sparked impact for one another and beyond, please introduce yourself. I am eager to bring future stories of connection to life!
Christine Koh ’95 is a former music and brain scientist turned writer, podcaster, designer and creative director. You can find her work at christinekoh.com.