Remarks by the AAVC President and Trustee

Sunday, May 21, 2023
by Monica Vachher ’77, AAVC President and Trustee

My name is Monica Vachher.
I’m from Philadelphia.
I studied Political Science.
And I’m a proud member of the Class of 1977!

Greetings to all of the proud family and friends, to our distinguished faculty, to my wonderful colleagues on the Vassar Board of Trustees, and above all, greetings and congratulations to the extraordinary Class of 2023!!!

We are so proud of you, and thrilled for you, as you embark upon life after Vassar!!

I stand here in testament to the fact that there is such a thing, and all of you are actually, literally, just one degree away from entering this new and exciting zone of existence.

So yes, you will be leaving your 620 classmates, and your 2,500 schoolmates, who have thus far defined your Vassar community. You may have parents or siblings or grandparents who have Vassar connections, but you are now also an essential part of a dazzling community of over 41,000 Vassar alums.

We are across this country and around the world, and we cannot wait to have you join us! The Alumnae/i Association of Vassar, the AAVC, celebrates you, embraces you, and welcomes you!

You will of course carry your own alum posse of Vassar friends wherever you go, but you may also encounter us randomly in graduate school, in your workplace, during your fellowship, while traveling…. Or you may seek out alums through your local Vassar clubs or programs on campus or through VassarNet. (Check that out!) And perhaps, hopefully, you will join the many other alums who are career mentors, who are involved with their classes, who serve on the Board of Trustees or the Board of the Alumnae/i Association, or the multitude of other ways in which alums continue to be engaged and contribute to Vassar—with time, passion, and resources.

Vassar has been my special place since I first entered Main Gate. And I hope that it has been or will become yours. What I have come to realize over the intervening years is that Vassar is not just a place—rather, it’s almost a state of mind. There is something about Vassar that imbues our psyches; that becomes a part of our very beings; that helps define us; and that connects us.

Each of you is a remarkable, talented, beautiful individual. You have special skills that you choose to express in myriad ways. And every member of the alum community possesses similarly unique traits. None of us is alike, and yet, whenever you meet someone and learn that they went to Vassar, it’s an “OF COURSE you went to Vassar!” moment, because they have that ineffable Vassar quality.

So, as you depart to make your distinct and distinctive impressions upon your world, I hope you will always find time to connect with Vassar, and that you will cherish the special bond that ties all of us alums together, forever more.

Congratulations!!  And welcome to the AAVC!!