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CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF THE WRITERS’ FESTIVAL

PAYING TRIBUTE TO A TRAILBLAZER

The college looks back at the rich history of one of its signature events.

Agnes Scott marks the 50th anniversary of its first Black graduate, Edna Lowe Swift ’71.

SPRING/SUMMER ’21

GIFTS IN HONOR AND MEMORY

T H E

Donors share touching stories of the loved ones who inspired their giving.

M AG A Z I N E

Answering the Call:

Agnes Scott Charts the Way Forward for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

’21

spring/summer

volume 96, number 2 Vice President for Communications and Marketing: Danita Knight Editor: Nicholyn Hutchinson Writers: Karina Antenucci, Sara Baxter, Monica Gayles Dorsey, Jennifer Jiles, Echo Montgomery Garrett and Sydni Perry ’21 Designer: Lee Thompson Photographer: Tom Meyer, unless otherwise noted Cover Illustration: Nicolette Morgan ’03 Mission: Agnes Scott College educates women to think deeply, live honorably and engage the intellectual and social challenges of their times. © 2021 Agnes Scott College. Published for alumnae and friends twice a year by the Office of Communications and Marketing, Agnes Scott College, 141 E. College Ave., Decatur, GA 30030-3770. The content of the magazine reflects the opinions of the writers and not the viewpoints of the college, its trustees or the administration. Nondiscrimination policy: Agnes Scott College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age or disability in the recruitment and admission of any student. For the full policy, visit agnesscott.edu/ nondiscrimination-policy.html. Change of address: By mail to Office of Advancement Services, Agnes Scott College, 141 E. College Ave., Decatur, GA 30030-3770; by telephone, 404.471.6472; or by email to alumnae@agnesscott.edu. Email: info@agnesscott.edu Website: agnesscott.edu

@agnesscottcollege @agnesscottcollege @agnesscott Agnes Scott College

Congratulations to the Class of 2021. Agnes Scott celebrates you! BACHELOR OF ARTS Alaa A. Abdelrahman Abigail Leigh Ackerson Adena M. Adams Leila Asa Agbogu Sofia Aldas Gabrielle Rena Anthony April M. Araiza Isabella Barbuto Samantha Barrera Eve C. Barrett Kira Barrett Antonella Del Pilar Basso Mackenzie Ann Bellamy Dory Ruth Berry Shelby Todd Biles Lucie Elizabeth Blaise Kalia Blake Carla Bosch Hannah Krystina Heidi Brendell Morgan E. Brown Jennifer M. Byrd Fiona E. Campbell Peyton Capehart Markia Dionne Carr Oné Adande Carrington Ché Octavia Carter Lydia Juliet Cash Olivia Nicole Chapman Annel Chávez Esha Alia Clements Madison Ann Marie Cotton Abigail Elizabeth Cox Elinor Olivia Davis Loanni Del Monte Elizabeth Anne Dudley Siuloong Englander Teresa D. Enriquez Texis Molly Estes Zubaidah Farhan Sabrina Patricia Urschel Farley Delaney Louise Fisher-Cassiol Musumaulai Heide Galoia Aneesa Selin Gezgin Olive M. Gongombe-Ouyema Natasha Griffin Sharon Gurung Amelia Anne Handly Sydney Ellen Hands Hajar Harda

Erin Sydney Harris Spencer Danielle Bailey Hatcher TiaSamone Haygood Desiree Celeste Hernandez DeMiAlma Mariposa Herrera Claudia R. Hines Sophia Elise Ho Maya Brooke Andrea Hogan Marlee Hoggard Kyle Angela Barraquias Huerta McKenna R. Hupp Felicia Emeline Jacques Nikaela Jade Johnson Sequoia Myya Johnson Brittany Allyssa Judson Princesse Mutesi Karemera Janan Y. Khan Yasmin Sarah Khan Jane Hallett Krause Dulcibella Nana Owusuwah Larbi Elizabeth Blu Laseter Sarah L. Letteer Esther Allison Lovelace Natalia Izabella Mackiewicz Breanna Megan Madison Rachel E. Magana Melina Mancio Zion Nicole Martin Angelica Lilianna Martini Sara A. Masters Hannah Mohona Louise McGee Dorothy Grace Miller Kaitlyn Moriah Mills Sarah Leann Mills Claire Marie Moore Zoie Lark Moore Tisha M. Naipaul Rida Naseeb Emma C. O’Grady Joie Otting Cydney Michelle Owens Taylor Alexandria Parks Jasmine Myotte Paul Meadow LeAnne Pendley Maranda M. Perez Kyarra Perry Sydni Michelle Perry Melody R. Phillips McCarley Lane Pigford Jacy G. Pippin

Avery L. Porter Jingxuan Qiu Annette A. Quansah Amelia Blythe Rafferty Jaania Raj Jabreshia Q. Rogers Katherine Elizabeth Rogers Lisset Rojo Ramirez Claire McKinley Romine Gwyneth Rees Rush Cymone Gabrielle Ryals Sabrina Henna Sabir Deborah A. Saunders Lucy R. Schoenrock Rachel Watson Scott Deyana Aziz Siddiqui Melody Rose Simmons Lourrain Iman Simon Lauryn H. Singletary Rachel Kathryn Smith Srijana Smith Valeria Soto Tredunlo Kaitlyn A. Staten Ngunkip Lily Steven Chin Zozan Amin Tahir Katherine Isabel Takats Nyla Iman Taylor Kennedy Isis Thedford Leah Ethlyn Trotman Candace Lacey Turner Destini Valle Bethany Melinda Velarde Jesseca S. Venters Anna Vuu Ariyanna LaShae Walker Samiya Nyree Evelyn Walker Loren Walter Brianna M. Walton Maya Sinclair Webster Tasida Alliya Webster Kamara N.D. West Tiara Shyanne White Olivia C. Wilborn Juliana M. Wilder Hannah Elise Williams Kaya M. Wright Arin Yost Mingqing Yuan Samantha Zheng BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Cindy Leticia Aguilera-Navarro Furyal Ahmed Jada Nicole Anderson Ramona Jo Bailey Josephine Demi-Marie Brodie Sydney Yvonne Kailee Brown Nicemode W. Charles

Amirah E. Clarke KaLee Lynn Elliott Rebecca Flores Hernandez Diana Ghebrezadik Abigail R. Harden Katherine Ryley Hutchison Nin Haliyma El Jacobs Anne Nicole Jonaitis Gwen E. Kirschke Alexandra Maria Lombardo Paige Renae Marcelline Fredria C. Matthews Christina Priscilla Matu Jessica Anne McFarland Catherine Mary Morkel Rachel Grace Peterson Savannah Imani Pittman Mihika R. Rao Jordan N. Reed Azia Kai Robinson Amira LeChele Rogers Leo Anthony Skaer Camryn J. Smith Sandra Galil Tawfik Kai N’deya Thomas Laura Threlkel Charlotte Renee Ward Inaara S. Wastani Caitlin S. Weaver Cameron Victoria Wheeler Ting Xue Weiyi Zhou MASTER OF ARTS Samelia Pamela Bankole Chelsey Jaye Cole Yasmine Edge Alexia Renee Edwards Karen D. Gelhaar Unica Alexcia Hodge Maura E. Kiefer Erin L. Lannen Hunter Corbett Leibler

Layli Miller-Muro ’93, founder of the Tahirih Justice Center and senior advisor to the CEO, served as commencement speaker for the classes of 2020 and 2021.

Alexis Cheyenne Mack Lateresa Renae Madison Paige H. Manieri Alaska Matthews Monica L. Morris Gresham Mary Peyton Palmour Racquel Arianne Parker Alexis Integra Prothro Katja Quintero Nia Roberts Heather Leigh Seelbach Virginia Underwood Angela M. Washington Malik J. Watson Danielle Veronica Everson Williams MASTER OF SCIENCE Jasmine C. Moore

View the graduation celebration video on Agnes Scott’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/AgnesScottCollege.

Women’s Global Leadership Conference Building a Better World: Women and Climate Justice SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2021 conversations, form innovative partnerships for addressing climate injustice and develop creative strategies for building more resilient communities. This year’s conference program includes: • Four keynote sessions with global and national speakers in conversation with leading journalists • Panels with national and local environmental leaders • Roundtable “fire-starter” conversations co-facilitated by Agnes Scott students Agnes Scott College’s second annual Women’s Global Conference will convene internationally recognized scholars, private sector experts, political leaders and community activists to engage in intentional

• Networking for all attendees, with professional development opportunities for students • Receptions celebrating the work of climate justice leadership • A day of community service

For the full conference program and to register, visit agnesscott.edu/wglc/2021.

5 4 Signature Brandi Collins-Dexter ’02 discusses the importance of remembering the past and the urgency of moving forward in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion at Agnes Scott.

5 Main News Agnes Scott expands Peak Week to enhance student learning and professional experiences, remembers its 132nd Founder’s Day celebration, continues its pandemic response efforts, announces the completion of the joint climate resilience plan, receives a gift to support graduate students’ academic success, fosters innovation in one of its graduate courses through a faculty grant, presents undergraduate scholarly work at this year’s SpARC and goes virtual with its first-year global immersion experiences.

18 12 Faculty Focus A professor mentors the next generation in the field of psychology with passion and purpose, while another brings a love of the theatre to teaching.

14 Stepping Into the Possibilities An unexpected career path has led Elizabeth “Beth” Howell ’82 into a leadership role where she is making a difference.

16 Creating Change Through Civic Journalism Graduate student Britton Edwards is helping make Atlanta a better place to live.

22 Answering the Call Agnes Scott creates an evolving road map for justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.

28 Working to Be a Part of the Solution Addressing the issue of diversity, equity and inclusion, Jacinta Williams PB’07 takes on the challenging cause of ensuring people have a voice.

30 Celebrating 50 Years of the Writers’ Festival Agnes Scott looks back at the impressive history of one of its most prestigious signature events.

30 35 The Next Generation of Creative Writers Four student and alum creative writers discuss their thoughts on writing, the Writers’ Festival and works that everyone should read.

38 2021 Outstanding Alumnae The college showcases this year’s distinguished honorees.

42 Gifts in Honor and Memory Agnes Scott donors who have made gifts on behalf of a loved one share their stories.

44 Giving Highlights A $5 million endowment will provide scholarships to Agnes Scott and Spelman College graduates enrolled in programs at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

18 Paying Tribute to a Trailblazer Agnes Scott celebrates the legacy and 50th anniversary of the graduation of Edna Lowe Swift ’71, the college’s first Black graduate.

Cover Illustration: Using brand colors from Agnes Scott College’s updated primary and secondary color palettes, the cover features silhouettes representing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion and the different faces of the Scottie community. The interconnection of the silhouettes reflects the idea of unity. The silhouette in Agnes Scott purple is looking upward, symbolizing hope for the college as it moves forward.

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Looking Back, Moving Forward In 2018, I stood in the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia, looking at the floor and wooden pews. My eyes and fingers traced the intricate carvings that felt both new and familiar. The church is one of the oldest Black churches in the United States. Its original congregation was composed of mostly enslaved individuals and was formed in 1773. It had been constructed by the congregation in their “free” time. My dad and I stood side by side looking at holes organized in patterns in the floor, a Kongo cosmogram. They identified the church as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The holes served a dual purpose as ventilation for those hiding beneath the floorboards and a source of comfort to those above ground. Anyone able to decode the carvings could breathe easy knowing that this church offered safe passage to all. African symbols like these are all around Savannah, not just in the churches. While staring at the wrought iron heart on one of the city’s fences, I recognized one as Sankofa, an Adinkra symbol from the Akan tribe in Ghana. The symbol means “It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.” This fence showed that though those enslaved were in a strange land, constructing a new world, they would never forget the world they left behind. I first saw the symbol in 2001 when I traveled to Ghana as a student at Agnes Scott College. During the trip, my Scottie sisters and I traveled to the shore to see the slave castles — fortresses that those taken on the Middle Passage stayed in before they were forcibly removed from their homeland. Many of those who passed through the castles had not made it out on the other side, lost to the bottom of the ocean. For those of us whose families had been in the Americas for generations, we were the physical reminders that many of them had lived. In us, their souls and spirits live on. All of us on that shore were obligated to carry forth the memories of the lost and commit ourselves to the dream of a society where we all can be free. The summer of 2020 saw a deadly pandemic needlessly taking thousands of lives, while at the same time, more images of Black people being murdered and threatened by police went viral. People finally unleashed. Protestors spilled onto the streets like a Skittles box full of resentment, indignation and overwhelming sorrow. What does it mean to dream of liberation when so much of the past still occupies our present? What does it mean

to not just long for all the trappings of freedom but also fight to make it so? Last summer, the administration and students at Agnes Scott grappled with that question and looked for the hard answers. The results of that hard work are shared in part in the cover story in this issue of the magazine. The college’s Division of Equity and Inclusion led the charge to develop a Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan, which will continue to evolve to meet head-on “the intellectual and social challenges of our times.” Like the Sankofa symbol, we have to look back to move forward. But we have to move forward. It is not enough to say that we believe: • • • • • • •

Black Lives Matter No Human Is Illegal Love Is Love Women’s Rights Are Human Rights Science Is Real Water Is Life Injustice Anywhere Is a Threat to Justice Everywhere

We have to plan for a future in which those things are not just slogans but also underpin a culture that sees and normalizes our individual and collective humanity. One that respects the environment we inhabit. We each play a role in ensuring the plan’s success. I am grateful to Agnes Scott for answering the call of students past, present and future. Committing to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion is not just about investing in our college but also in the future leaders tasked with moving us forward as a world. May this commitment serve as a reminder that though the hard work is just beginning, Agnes Scott College should always represent a place of safe passage for all who wander through its gates. — Brandi Collins-Dexter ’02

Brandi Collins-Dexter ’02 is a senior fellow at the advocacy organization Color of Change and a visiting fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a regular commentator in the media on racial justice. Her book “Black Skinhead,” slated for release in 2022, uses a pop culture lens — and draws stories from the oral history of Black potential voters and stakeholders ranging from ages 17 to 108 — to understand the history and trajectory of Black political, economic and social power. CollinsDexter holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Agnes Scott College and a juris doctor from University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School.

main news The Path to Success Over the past few years, Peak Week, the signature SUMMIT event that falls in March the week before Agnes Scott College’s spring break, has evolved to be a larger, immersive experience inclusive of all undergraduate students. During the week, students engage in hands-on learning opportunities related to the central SUMMIT areas of global learning, leadership development and professional success. “The idea behind Peak Week is to connect the dots with what students are learning in the curriculum with hands-on experiences,” says Honi Migdol, associate dean for integrative leadership and SUMMIT cocurricular programs. In the faculty-led global immersion experiences that are an integral part of the Global Journeys course, first-year students acquire a global/intercultural perspective that broadens their horizons and lays the foundation for global citizenship; in the second year, the Sophomore Class Atlanta Leadership Experience (SCALE) leadership immersion activities allow students to bring their intercultural learning to a professional environment while also developing career-relevant skills and perspectives; in their junior year, participating in Applied Career Experiences (ACE), students apply their liberal arts learning while working with specific technological tools and platforms and connecting with alums and experts. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic prohibiting travel, the global immersion experience pivoted to involve virtual workshops and talks with renowned international scholars and activists, best-selling authors and local community leaders. Overseen by the Center for Global Learning, this year’s 13 Journeys courses included virtual itineraries that connected U.S. domestic and international sites in the context of a wide range of interdisciplinary topics.

Previously an opt-in Peak Week program for all class years, moving forward, SCALE will be exclusively for sophomores. A joint effort between the Office of Internship and Career Development and the Gué Pardue Hudson Center for Leadership and Service, SCALE is focused on participants observing leadership in action. The program pairs small groups of students with various community partners, such as Piedmont Healthcare, Synchronicity Theater and Morehouse School of Medicine, to learn about an industry, observe leadership and either contribute to a project or the organizational goals of the organization. “[In developing SCALE], we looked at where the gaps are that students need to learn and how can we help them develop the competencies that employers need,” says Migdol. “SCALE is like a mini internship. It is an accelerated program where students are getting a wealth of professional development support.” In its inaugural year in 2020, the program began as an in-person experience, with students commuting to various community partner organizations for on-site visits. Due to the rapidly changing conditions as the pandemic unfolded, many of the community partners decided to modify their work environments, and Agnes Scott students pivoted alongside them. “Community partners brought our students into this process to see how decisions were being made at the onset of the shutdown,” notes Migdol. This year, SCALE was 100% virtual, and students learned how to keep up with back-to-back Zoom meetings. Working in teams, they had to navigate different work norms, styles and spaces. “On the whole, students have reported great, candid conversations.

They felt like they were brought in as members of the organizations,” Migdol says. Peak Week also welcomed ACE to its programming in 2021. These weeklong, one-credit SUM 301 courses, which were opt-in this year, will be exclusively for juniors and seniors in 2022. Taught by faculty and supported by the Office of Internship and Career Development and the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy, each course offers students opportunities to apply their liberal arts learning by working with specific technology and to connect with alums or experts in relevant professional fields. Supporting Agnes Scott’s commitment to professional success, ACE courses help students develop critical and necessary skills that are increasingly attractive to potential employers,” explains Migdol. “We are fortunate to have a wealth of knowledge within our existing faculty to help our upperclass students further develop competencies to make them more competitive in the job market.” With three strong programs in place, Peak Week now offers a focus for every student at Agnes Scott to engage in high-impact learning activities beyond the classroom that will promote their postgraduate success.

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A Founder’s Day to Remember For Agnes Scott College, this year’s Founder’s Day, which marked the 132nd anniversary of the college's founding, was like no other. Not only was the event all virtual, but it was also a weeklong celebration instead of being held on a single day. Syndi Perry ’21, a fellow in the Office of the President, led the planning and coordination of Founder’s Day. Perry collaborated with other departments across campus. This year’s theme was “Agnes Scott: Past, Present and Future,” encouraging the community to reflect on the college’s past, celebrate its present and look toward its future. Throughout the celebratory week, there were Founder’s Day trivia and prerecorded videos featuring Portia Morrison ’66, a retired partner of the global law firm DLA Piper; Ché Carter ’21, president of Witkaze; Katja Quintero MA’21, a writing and digital communication graduate; and Jayla Norman ’23, a Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation intern in the Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion. The week culminated with an hourlong program that included a performance by Agnes Scott’s gospel choir Joyful

Noise, which was followed by a conversation with Morrison, Carter, Quintero and Norman moderated by Yves-Rose Porcena, vice president for equity and inclusion. The participants shared powerful, insightful and moving thoughts on their time at Agnes Scott and talked about what Founder’s Day means to them, how it is changing and what it could be in the future. Norman, who conducted research on Samuel Harper, a Black blacksmith who contributed to the building of Agnes Scott “Main” Hall’s bell tower, stressed the importance of not only recognizing the known figures but also celebrating the hidden ones — the firsts who have not been celebrated and were people of color who were integral parts of the college’s founding. During the program, President Leocadia I. Zak took time to acknowledge that Founder’s Day takes place during Black History Month — two important events that have not been typically acknowledged together in the past. “There are still many areas of improvement for the college, but we are taking the right steps toward lasting, positive change for our future — releasing ties with ideals

and views that no longer represent who the college is and where we are going,” says Zak. “After today’s program, I hope we will have more conversations and instill more change as we grow.” There were many changes in this year’s Founder’s Day celebration, but these changes reflected the college’s ability to adapt, our Agnes Scott community’s willingness to take on challenging situations, have open conversations and, overall, our steps toward positive growth and lasting change. View the Founder’s Day videos and full program at agnesscott.edu/founders-day.

Agnes Scott Stays Committed to Keeping the Campus Community Safe and Informed

Since the onset of the pandemic, Agnes Scott College has remained dedicated to keeping the campus community informed, raising awareness about COVID-19 protocols and providing a safe and supportive learning environment. The college’s robust Be Well Campaign, which launched last fall, has played an instrumental role in this commitment. Be Well informational videos are featured on the college’s website and social media platforms. Also, students have been recruited to serve as Be Well ambassadors for their peers. The Be Well campaign will continue to promote wellness on campus when fully in-person instruction begins in August. Agnes Scott’s Wellness Center, which oversees COVID-19 testing on-campus, has administered more than 2,930 tests since last year.

Through webinars and podcasts, faculty have also educated the campus community and beyond on issues surrounding COVID-19. For example, public health professors Amy Patterson and Erin Bradley, along with Charles Loridans Associate Professor of Biology and Neuroscience Stacey Dutton, shared their expertise in the COVID Conversations: The Truth and Myths about the COVID Vaccination webinar, which offered people an opportunity to learn more and ask questions about the vaccines. The podcast, Understanding the COVID-19 Vaccine: An In-Depth Look with Professors from Agnes Scott College, featured Bradley, Dutton, Assistant Professor of Psychology Janelle S. Peifer and Assistant Professor of Psychology Maryam Jernigan-Noesi. Agnes Scott sought early approval to serve as a vaccination site for members of the college community.

Agnes Scott Announces Completion of Joint Climate Resilience Plan On Feb. 26, Agnes Scott College announced the completion of its joint climate resilience plan, on which it partnered with the City of Decatur. The plan is structured around four main themed goals: people, planet, place and partnership. Each goal presents the strategies for implementation with corresponding tasks and the anticipated time frame. The plan also includes the survey results of a vulnerability assessment of climaterelated shocks (sudden events) and stressors (long-term trends) that can impact the community. Tornadoes, affordable housing, economic and social disparity, and extreme heat are several of the vulnerabilities identified. Brittany Judson ’21, the climate plan resilience coordinator in the college’s Center for Sustainability, wrote the plan, which was informed by a task force composed of representatives from Agnes Scott, City of Decatur agencies and Columbia Theological Seminary. The task force was established in August 2018 and began work on the plan then, a process that involved meeting regularly over the past two years and conducting focus groups on the individual goals. The collaborative project received additional support in June 2020, when Agnes Scott was awarded funding through Boston-based nonprofit Second Nature’s Acceleration Fund. “Having a plan to respond to climate change impacts jointly with the City of Decatur is critically important for the college’s future. This plan — combined with the campus master plan completed in 2020 and the strategic plan — establishes a firm foundation for thinking ahead.

Since March, the Wellness Center has administered more than 900 total doses overall (first and second). In June, Agnes Scott was among the first to sign on to the White House and U.S. Department of Education’s COVID-19 College Vaccine Challenge (whitehouse.gov/ COVIDCollegeChallenge). From health and safety protocols to informational webinars and podcasts to its COVID-19 website, the college continues to be a model in its response to the pandemic for other colleges and universities. And when the residence halls and classroom doors open at the start of the new academic year, Agnes Scott — like always — will be prepared. Visit the Engaging the Challenge, Together website at agnesscott.edu/engaging-thechallenge-together.

But perhaps most importantly, the plan was written by a current student. Brittany did an excellent job of managing the process and writing the plan. This is an integral part of her experience that is leading her into a career in sustainability,” says Susan Kidd ’78, MAT ’07, executive director of the Center for Sustainability. Along with David Nifong, a Lead for America fellow with the City of Decatur Department of Public Works, Kidd appeared on Rose Scott’s “Closer Look” radio program on WABE, Atlanta’s NPR station, to discuss the joint climate resilience plan. Listen to the segment at wabe.org/agnes-scott-and-decatur-collaborate-to-createa-climate-resilience-plan-for-the-city. Visit the Center for Sustainability’s website at agnesscott.edu/center-for-sustainability to view the climate resilience plan.

Agnes Scott College faculty participated in the COVID Conversations: The Truth and Myths about the COVID Vaccination webinar this spring. View the video on Agnes Scott’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/AgnesScottCollege.

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The Joan and Bill Goodhew Fund Helps Support Graduate Students' Academic Success A gift from Joan St. Clair Goodhew ’58 and J. William “Bill” Goodhew is helping promote the academic success of graduate students at Agnes Scott College. Established in March 2019, the Joan and Bill Goodhew Fund has enabled the Office of Graduate and Extended Programs to provide graduate learning assistants in the college’s Center for Digital and Visual Literacy and the Center for Writing and Speaking. In these centers, the graduate learning assistants are playing an instrumental role in supporting their peers across the college’s graduate programs. The Center for Digital and Visual Literacy is where the Agnes Scott community can access training and resources in a variety of instructional, emerging and skills-based technologies. With a high volume of visitors throughout the year, the center discovered improvement was needed in serving graduate students. “Although we were able to help with many of their needs, we simply could not accommodate the extended hours needed by graduate students. In addition to the challenge of scheduling, the full-time staff and I found ourselves covering the broader technical skills as well. We could not meet all of the specialized demands,” says Lisa Jones, assistant director of the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy. The addition of a graduate learning assistant in the center, one each academic semester, has made all the difference. “Because the graduate learning assistants possess experience and proficiency in a wider variety of software applications, the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy has been able to offer training and support that previously were unavailable,” she says. Jones adds that there is another benefit, noting, “The graduate learning assistant role has also filled the need for graduate students to learn from their peers who uniquely understand the demands of balancing their work, families and course requirements.” Katja Quintero MA’20 worked as a graduate learning assistant in the center when they were in the writing and digital communication master’s program because they wanted to be a part of the center’s work. “I always saw the amazing impact of the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy on my program and how helpful it is to so many students, and that immediately drew me in,” says Quintero.

For the college’s Center for Writing and Speaking, which provides one-on-one-tutoring, resources and programs to help students become better communicators, the availability of graduate learning assistants has also proven to be key. Faculty Director and Visiting Assistant Professor of the Writing and Digital Communication program Mina Ivanova says that like the Center for Digital and Visual Literacy, having graduate learning assistants has allowed the Center for Writing and Speaking to expand and tailor services specifically to graduate students. Ivanova is the acting director of the Center for Writing and Speaking. “Agnes Scott’s graduate students are incredibly diverse, which I think is a strength of the program, but some of them have been out of school for years. And so they have to get reintegrated and remember what it’s like to be in college and write academic papers. They have to get into the rhythm of reading critically and writing analytically and presenting in professional ways,” says Ivanova. “There is an adjustment that happens, and the graduate learning assistants are this kind of unique liaison between the world of Agnes Scott and incoming graduate students.” Imani Young Bey ’17, program coordinator in the Center for Writing and Speaking, observes that graduate students frequently request assistance on things such as their portfolios, presentations, website content and study skills. Isobel Robinson-Ortiz MA’20, a graduate from the writing and digital communication program and a former graduate learning assistant in the Center for Writing and Speaking, says, “My firsthand knowledge of the assignments and what the professors were looking for helped inform my tutoring. I loved being able to help my fellow graduate students build confidence and realize that they were going to be OK and their writing assignments were doable.” The center currently has one graduate learning assistant for the academic year, and Ivanova says that as the graduate student population continues to grow, they hope to have two in the future. Both Jones and Ivanova say that feedback on the graduate learning assistants in the Center for Digital and Visual Learning and the Center for Writing and Speaking has been overwhelmingly positive, especially during the pandemic. Graduate students have been appreciative of continuing to receive the same level of support remotely. The Goodhews were inspired to make a gift to the college because they were impressed by the innovation of Agnes Scott’s graduate programs and deeply understood the importance of preparing students for meaningful employment postgraduation. With funding for graduate learning assistants, graduate students are receiving the critical support and guidance they need to successfully navigate their academic journey.

Faculty Grant Fosters Innovation in Graduate Course Agnes Scott College’s Laquita Blockson, faculty director of the master’s program in social innovation, and Carlee Bishop, faculty director of the master’s program in technology leadership and management, were awarded a VentureWell Sustainable Design Faculty Grant. The $29,662 grant supports strengthening and developing courses and programs that encourage STEM entrepreneurship and innovation. Blockson and Bishop’s proposal was 1 of 13 grant recipients chosen nationally. The grant provides funds for Blockson and Bishop to incorporate sustainability and environmental responsibility into the HumanCentered Design and Implementation graduate course that the grant enables them to team teach at Agnes Scott College. Decatur Makers, a local makerspace, and the college’s Center for Sustainability are serving as community and campus partners for this interdisciplinary course. “In the course, students are guided through a three-step process of identifying a problem faced by users of a particular product, generating possible solutions for redesigning the product and bringing a plausible solution into production or operation,” says Blockson. “They learn various

Faculty Director of Social Innovation Graduate Program Laquita Blockson

Faculty Director of Technology Leadership and Management Graduate Program Carlee Bishop

design methods to help address a given challenge, all while privileging the experiences of the users.” “With the grant, we are providing each student a prototyping kit, which provides an at-home capability for prototyping experimentation. This enables us to offer our students a hands-on polytechnic learning activity while accounting for COVID-19-related restrictions that limit students’ access to campus,” says Blockson. “When we teach this course during the spring 2022 semester, in addition to providing students with prototyping kits, we will use the Decatur Makers’ makerspace, where students will have access to tools and equipment that will enable them to bring their design ideas to life.” The course’s theme for the spring

2021 and 2022 semesters is “Sustainability and Climate Change,” and the design challenge is sustainable agriculture. Blockson and Bishop anticipate select graduate students will present their design ideas at the 2021 Engaging Global Challenges Conference, which is focused on climate justice and being hosted by Agnes Scott this fall. Blockson notes that humancentered design techniques and thinking skills can be applied within virtually any occupation and complement any discipline. The course’s major projects, supported in part by the VentureWell Sustainable Design Faculty Grant, will provide students with relevant experience that supports their professional success in a variety of fields and industries.

SpARC Spotlights Student Research

A slide from a presentation by Kaitlyn Mills ’21 on Mills’ research project “A Pattern for Palatable Progress in Black Education, 1865-1899”

The Spring Annual Research Conference, known as SpARC, this year continued to demonstrate the best in undergraduate research at Agnes Scott College. Held in a virtual format, the daylong event, which opened with a welcome from President Leocadia I. Zak, followed by dance and music performances, featured students presenting their research through short prerecorded video presentations, with slides taking the place of the poster exhibits. There were also faculty-moderated panel discussions on select research topics. As a special addition, the day concluded with “Untitled Math Trivia Project,” a math trivia event based on the popular pub-style trivia Agnes Scott has produced as part of the Atlanta Science Festival since 2015. 9

Global Immersion Experiences Go Virtual

Left: The Ecuador virtual reality tour experience in the Global Journeys Diversity and Health section. Photo courtesy of Victoria Colón-Lopez ’24. Right: The virtual visit of the United Nations headquarters in the Global Journeys Global Cities section. Photo courtesy of Nia Harris ’24.

A coral reef workshop with the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida. A guided walking tour through the historic streets of Berlin, Germany. A viewing of the Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent exhibits in Paris, France. These are just a few of the faculty-led immersion experiences Agnes Scott College’s first-year students participated in during 2021 Global Journeys. But there was a big difference from previous years. Rather than traveling around the world by plane, students reached this year’s destinations virtually. The college moved forward with the weeklong global immersions, an integral part of the SUMMIT curriculum, as a remote experience amid the ongoing pandemic. Partnering with a range of providers, the Center for Global Learning developed fully virtual programming for Journeys — a first for Agnes Scott. Associate Vice President and Dean for Curriculum and Strategic Initiatives Gundolf Graml, who oversees SUMMIT global learning and leadership development, says, “We decided to create virtual global connections that built [upon] the global knowledge and experience of our faculty leaders, aligned with the SUMMIT global learning goals and provided our students with a real-life perspective on the mode of global/international interaction precipitated by the pandemic.” In order to make virtual trips happen, Graml, who is also a professor of German, says that faculty leaders had to quickly redesign their pedagogical approaches, and partner providers needed to create videos and augmented reality experiences in many different countries where they were facing lockdowns and quarantine measures. 10

“Regine Jackson, faculty coordinator for global learning and Kathy Ashe ’68 and Lawrence Ashe Associate Professor of Sociology, and the Journeys faculty leaders did an amazing job coordinating 13 different Journeys sections in a way that maintained the curricular coherence of the SUMMIT Global Journeys course. Faculty-led Programs Coordinator Anna Lachkaya-Harris ’19 and the entire Center for Global Learning team [also] were exceptional in keeping the process going,” he says. Journeys sections offered interesting selections for students, including Islamic Art and Architecture; Astronomy and Discovery; Diversity and Health; Identity, Globalization and Social Change; and Industrialization and Scientific Progress – Benefits and Costs. Each section made international and domestic connections related to its theme and featured prerecorded videos, live activities and innovative augmented reality components. Several sections were even able to include culinary experiences related to the Journeys topic. Although students adapted well to the online Journeys experiences, some had mixed emotions about not being able to go on the traditional global trips this spring. “Students were and continue to be disappointed about missing the travel opportunities. That’s absolutely understandable, and we all share in this disappointment. But the safety of students, faculty and staff is paramount, and most students we have spoken with are very understanding,” says Graml. “Looking through the feedback, I am impressed by the level of learning and critical engagement demonstrated by our students. They have clearly taken advantage of the unique opportunities created by this experience, notwithstanding the challenges posed by the virtual environment.” He goes on to note that while faculty also missed the in-person immersion experiences, “many of them saw opportunities for engagement that otherwise would not have existed. Actual travel in larger groups means that certain places are just not accessible in general or not accessible for some students. Virtual global learning provided new forms of access, of connecting with multiple sites in one workshop.” “Overall, the virtual Journeys experience provided students with a unique global learning opportunity at a time when the global pandemic had brought international student travel to a complete stop. Was it as exciting and exhilarating as actual travel? Certainly not, but at a time when global insights matter more than ever, we are glad that we could enable our students to connect with the world and learn from and with experts and leaders in a wide range of areas,” Graml concludes. With COVID-19 vaccines now available and international travel slowly resuming, the hope is that in spring 2022, first-year students will be able to visit and experience different parts of the world in person instead of through a screen.

A Campaign for a Stronger Agnes Scott

Campaign for Main passes halfway mark! The urgency of completing the much-needed restoration of Main Hall is about much more than a fundraising goal. The pandemic has affirmed that the foundation of a quality liberal arts education is a dynamic residential experience. Finishing the Campaign for Main is about returning students to the building’s three residential floors, so they can flourish as part of Agnes Scott’s renowned campus community. An investment in this campaign is an investment in the mission of Agnes Scott. For more information on helping us reach our $31.8 million goal and to make a gift, please visit agnesscott.edu/givetomain.

Watch the Campaign for Main video now.

faculty focus Mentoring the Next Generation

Assistant Professor of Psychology Maryam Jernigan-Noesi

According to her father, Maryam Jernigan-Noesi declared at the age of 4 she wanted to be a doctor. “I had no idea which kind,” she admits. “But I had a plan all along,” Unlike many children who make declarations at a young age, Jernigan-Noesi stuck with it. As she grew up and learned more about psychology, she decided to pursue a doctorate in the field. She credits her father for influencing her in taking that career direction. “My father is a Vietnam veteran who often advocated for the mental and other health benefits of Black veterans,” she says. “I grew up hearing him talk about group settings that offered support for those who served in war. I wanted to help people in that way.” Jernigan-Noesi attended Fisk University for her undergraduate studies, received a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University and then returned to her home state of Massachusetts to do her doctoral work at Boston College in 2003. She completed prestigious internships and fellowships at

Boston Medical Center and Harvard and Yale medical schools. During this period, she discovered that along with treating patients and conducting research, she also enjoyed teaching. “Teaching sort of just fell into my lap and wouldn’t move,” jokes Jernigan-Noesi, who worked as a teaching assistant during her doctoral studies and taught behavioral health to medical students as a fellow. When she later established a clinical practice, she also had teaching posts at Yale University and Quinnipiac University. In 2017, Jernigan-Noesi and her husband relocated to Atlanta from Connecticut with their young son. In 2018, she accepted a job as a visiting professor at Agnes Scott College. She soon became an assistant professor of psychology and now teaches both introductory and upper-level psychology classes at the college. She believes that because she is still a practicing clinical psychologist, she can bring a deeper level of understanding to her students.

“There is a difference between theory and practice,” she says. “I was frustrated as an undergraduate student. I heard one thing in class, but I saw another in a practical setting. Since I have knowledge in both, I can bring my practical experiences into my class and apply them to what my students are studying. It’s not just theory; I can use real examples.” Jernigan-Noesi also strives to enhance her students’ experience by tailoring the class to their interests. Two of the first things she asks are: “What do you hope to get out of this class? How will you use it in your post-Agnes Scott professional goals?” Even in a class of up to 30 students, she tries to connect the material to their future goals. She also involves students in her research, including them in her projects and encouraging them to take on projects of their own. She studies the influences of race and culture on mental and physical health treatment and outcomes, namely understanding how individual human experiences are connected to an individual’s emotional and physical well-being. Lately, her research has focused on racial trauma — how incidents of racism can affect mental health — and NPR and other prominent media outlets have featured her work. Through sharing her knowledge and experience, she believes she is mentoring the next generation. “I have a passion for teaching and a passion for psychology,” she says. “I hope my students can feed off of my energy and see all of the possibilities in this field. I’d like to think I am helping to foster and educate future researchers and clinical providers.”

The Show Must Go On

Professor of Theatre Toby Emert

It can be hard to teach any class remotely during the pandemic, but some lend themselves to online learning better than others. Theatre is not necessarily one of them. Yet Toby Emert, professor of theatre at Agnes Scott College, has found a way. “It’s definitely been a challenge,” he admits. “I had to rethink a lot of the assignments and the way I teach. But we have made it work.” His students are learning, collaborating and providing feedback through Zoom. Instead of working in the labs and theatre spaces on campus, they are developing visual narratives using PowerPoint. In-person performances are also being delivered via the Zoom platform. In the fall semester Emert taught two classes: Digital Storytelling and Performance Approaches to Literature for Children and Young Adults. In one of the projects for digital storytelling — the one-image story — Emert’s students chose a photograph and created a story around it, incorporating narrative and music. In another assignment, they wrote poems and then translated them visually using filmmaking tools and techniques. “These students have been consuming digital media for a long time,” he says, “so they are good at understanding visuals. Now, I’m teaching them how to add reflection.” Emert also shares his expertise in digital storytelling with high school English teachers, namely in helping them teach Shakespeare. In 2017, he conducted a weeklong workshop for Georgia teachers that was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. With a recently awarded grant from the National Endowment

for the Humanities, he has expanded the workshop into a two-week summer institute for 25 teachers from across the country. “Shakespeare is taught in most high schools,” he says. “Digital storytelling is something that teachers can use to help students learn about his plays in a fun and interesting way.” Teachers choose a Shakespeare play and create a 300-word story about some aspect using images and narrative. This summer’s institute, titled “Shakespeare and Digital Storytelling,” will be held virtually and focus on the influence of folktales and fairy tales on selected Shakespeare plays. Emert, who has been teaching at Agnes Scott for 17 years, once thought he wanted to be an actor. After graduating with degrees in English and theatre — what he calls his “twin interests” — he taught middle school drama and English while studying acting at a professional studio. But he discovered something along the way. “I loved the process of creating a character and rehearsing, but I was less in love with the performance aspect,” he says. Instead of pursing acting, he earned his Ph.D. in English education from the University of Virginia and chose a career in academia. Through the years, he has studied the work and practice of Augusto Boal, a Brazilian theatre practitioner and political activist best known for his methodology in Theatre of the Oppressed. Emert uses these methods in his Theatre for Social Change class in which students create forum plays that focus on a social issue important to the community and perform in front of an audience twice. During the second performance, audience members can say “stop,” and go onstage and replace the protagonist. The audience members can change the situation presented to enable a different outcome. Like most performances, the plays his students create in that class this semester may not be performed for an in-person audience. But despite all the changes that he has had to make due to the pandemic, he still has the same goal: for his students to make a connection with what they are doing and what they are learning. “I enjoy the intellectual and social challenges of teaching,” Emert says. “I want students to appreciate and engage with something they didn’t know they were interested in. I can’t make them love a poem or a play, but I can offer a process that helps them make a connection to it. That’s what keeps me teaching.” 13

Stepping Into the Possibilities Elizabeth “Beth” Howell ’82 may have taken an unexpected career path, but she has used it to make a difference. By Sara Baxter

n 2013, Beth Howell ’82 was having a casual conversation with a friend who asked her if she knew anyone who would be interested in the president and chief executive officer position that was open at Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities. She might, she said, and asked about the qualifications. “As he was mentioning each one, I kept thinking, ‘I can do that… check,’” remembers Howell, who at the time was vice president of academic administration at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where she had worked in various positions for 23 years. “Though I wasn’t really looking for a new job, I became very interested.” Not only was she not looking, but she did not even have an updated resume. Yet she applied and says that with each interview, she became more passionate about the position. “I’d worked in a children’s hospital but more behind the scenes,” she says. “I felt like I could impact families more directly in this position.” It was another step in a not-sotraditional career path. Howell planned to be a high school history teacher. She graduated from Agnes Scott College with a history degree, earned her teaching certificate and enjoyed student teaching at nearby Decatur High School. But later, when she could not find a position at the schools of her preference, she took a job at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she had worked the previous summer. From there, she held various positions at different companies in the Atlanta area before taking a job at Egleston Children’s Hospital in 1990 as a project manager. In 1998, after the merger that created Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, she was asked to take the job of special assistant to the CEO/chief compliance officer. Through the years, she took on more responsibilities, eventually working her way up to vice president of corporate oversight and chief compliance officer, and then vice president of academic administration.

“It was never a career path I planned on, but I really enjoyed my work at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” she says. “It was ‘learn as you go,’ and I was never bored.” Howell believes all her positions there prepared her to take over the leadership position at Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, where she has been working for the past seven years. The organization manages several programs that support families in their time of need, namely when their children are being treated for a serious illness or injury. Ronald McDonald House Charities is probably most well-known for its

make it a little easier for them.” Since the first house opened in 1979, the Ronald McDonald Houses in Atlanta have served more than 60,000 families. Families are asked to make a donation of $20 per night, but no family is turned away if they cannot contribute. Each room sleeps up to four people, and families have access to a game room, arts and crafts, and a full kitchen. Volunteers provide meals on a regular basis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Howell says things have been challenging, but they have managed to stick to their mission of helping families. To keep everyone safe, they

“These families are dealing with all kinds of situations, and it’s a real rollercoaster ride. We are there to make it a little easier for them.” —Beth Howell ’82 Ronald McDonald House programs throughout the country, which offer housing to families whose children are receiving care at local hospitals. The two Atlanta houses are located near Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston and Scottish Rite campuses. “We provide a home away from home,” Howell explains. “It’s a real community where everyone understands what you are going through. It’s an amazing benefit. These families are dealing with all kinds of situations, and it’s a real roller-coaster ride. We are there to

have limited the number of people in the houses, instead putting some families up at nearby hotels. “We still give them care packages and gift cards to local restaurants, the same perks they would receive if they were staying at the houses,” Howell says. “They are still part of the community.” Beyond the two Ronald McDonald Houses, the organization also supports and staffs a Ronald McDonald Family Room on the fifth floor of Scottish Rite for parents whose children are receiving care in the oncology and hematology

unit. The room provides a respite from the hospital setting and a place for families to rest, reset and relax. Under Howell’s leadership, the organization introduced the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, a 40-foot vehicle that goes into communities where children may not have access to health care. The Care Mobile focuses mainly on asthma care, including screenings, treatment and education, and also provides routine sick visits and back-toschool vaccines. While she oversees all the activities of Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities, Howell says the best part of her job is interacting with the families. “They are so inspiring,” she says. “They never thought they would have the strength to withstand the challenges they are facing, and they do. They get connected to the other families, and it’s wonderful to be a part of that community.” Howell will be the first one to tell you that her career has taken what she calls a “weird path.” And she credits her Agnes Scott experience for giving her the confidence to take every opportunity that has come her way. “Agnes Scott gives you the value of a women’s education,” she says. “You gain self-confidence and pride in who you are. It set me up for success and taught me that the path you are given may not be the path you set out on, but you need to take it, because it’s there for a reason. By taking that approach, you can expand and grow and make a real difference.”

Ronald McDonald Houses around the world provide families with comfortable and close places to stay during their children’s medical treatment at nearby hospitals.The Ronald McDonald Houses in Atlanta are located near Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Egleston (the house pictured) and Scottish Rite hospital campuses. Photos courtesy of Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Creating Change Through Civic Journalism

Photo by Hannah Jones, Atlanta Civic Circle

Britton Edwards:

By Sara Baxter

I 16

n summer 2018, Britton Edwards, a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Social Innovation program, was on what she calls “the edge of an exciting opportunity.” She was working as managing editor for SaportaReport, an online news source popular with Atlanta’s civic, government and business leaders. She and her boss, veteran Atlanta journalist Maria Saporta, and Bill Bolling, founder of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, were working on plans to start a new journalistic endeavor — one that would focus on civic journalism, promote civic engagement and give people the opportunity to have a voice.

“We started thinking about deeper engagement and what that would look like in the journalism space,” she says. “We didn’t want to just report on issues; we wanted to provide resources and engage people in actual calls to action.” Out of those conversations came Atlanta Civic Circle, a nonprofit organization dedicated to civic journalism. After the nonprofit was registered in fall 2018, Edwards spent the following two years building a board of directors, shaping the organization and securing funding. To hone her leadership skills, she enrolled in the Master of Arts in Social Innovation program at Agnes Scott College, in which students

learn to take business principles and adapt them to solve complex, real-world challenges to effect positive change. Edwards defines a social innovator as someone who sees a social problem and wants to work with the community and leadership in the community to solve that problem. “My favorite part of the program has been getting to know the other students in my cohort,” she says. “All of them are incredible people with big goals and energy. I feel like we are very supportive of each other in terms of the ventures we are working on and our goals.” When Atlanta Civic Circle launched in January 2021, Edwards was at the helm, leading the venture

as its first director. In her role, she oversees the creation of the nonprofit’s focus areas, identifies funding opportunities and works with the editorial team to make sure content is actionable and solutionsoriented. She also manages various partnerships with other publications and community organizations. Though she did not plan for her current job, Edwards says that the positions she has held up until this point helped lay the groundwork for this next step in her career. After she graduated with an English degree from the University of the South, her first job out of college was as deputy press secretary for Georgia’s Sen. Saxby Chambliss. From there, she began a long career in marketing, public relations and digital communications. Atlanta Civic Circle represents an important personal part of her career journey. “Being a part of this startup aligns with my passion for giving back to the community and doing it in a professional setting,” she says, adding that that passion was fueled when she was part of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation 2019 Inspire Atlanta leadership class. “That opened my eyes to the issues that needed to be addressed and the things that could be done.” Civic journalism involves educating and informing readers on critical issues, helping to identify solutions and bringing stakeholders to the table. The hope is that civic journalism will lead to civic education, and in turn, to civic engagement. “We want to bring everyone together to effect change, whether it’s policy awareness or educating the community through journalism,” Edwards says. “I think a lot of people don’t know where to start, and sometimes it feels too big to start. If we can give people three ideas on how to make a small difference, then that can grow into something much bigger.” At its launch, Atlanta Civic Circle had two focus areas, or “civic

circles” — democracy and affordable housing. Affordable housing is a critical issue as Atlanta’s population continues to grow, outpacing the number of affordable units. Experts fear that after the pandemic, that will get worse. “We’re going to see a tsunami of evictions and an epidemic of homelessness and a need for affordable units across the city that are readily available,” Edwards predicts. “Our goal there is to find the best way to support the city, developers and leaders in that arena and report to the community about the progress.” Within the other focus area — democracy — the goal is to gather information in one place for readers, such as implications of new voting laws and redistricting shaped by the census.

Edwards says the issues of equity and inclusion are embedded in all the Atlanta Civic Circle’s work, especially when expanding into new areas of coverage. They plan to bring their audience and journalists together with experts on various topics to get input on what should be covered next. “We will be hiring writers with diverse backgrounds so we can have discussions in our newsroom and know that we’re looking at things from all angles and perspectives,” she says. “I hope we can have real conversations with people across the entire city and amplify voices that haven’t had a chance to speak out before.” Editor’s Note: A version of this profile appears online as part of the Office of Graduate and Extended Programs’ Meet Forward Thinkers series. Read the story.

“We want to bring everyone together to effect change, whether it’s policy awareness or educating the community through journalism.” — BRITTON EDWARDS

From left to right: Agnes Scott College graduate student and Atlanta Civic Circle Director Britton Edwards, Special Advisor Maria Saporta, Board of Directors Chair Bill Bolling, and Board of Directors member Judith Service Montier. Photo by Hannah Jones, Atlanta Civic Circle.

Paying Tribute to a

TRAILBLAZER: Agnes Scott Celebrates the Legacy and 50th Anniversary of the Graduation of Its First Black Graduate, Edna Lowe Swift ’71 By Echo Montgomery Garrett

his spring marked the 50th anniversary of the graduation of Edna Lowe Swift ’71, whose legacy looms large as the first Black graduate of Agnes Scott College. Being the first of anything bears a heavy weight of responsibility and attention, which Swift has carried with grace throughout the years. A well-known and respected member of the community, she has made an impact seen and felt by all who have followed her and never more strongly so than now as the college sets its course toward justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. Racial unrest was boiling over in America during what became known as the “long, hot summer of 1967,” with riots and protests erupting in Black communities in major cities across the country in response to racial discrimination, unemployment, poverty, crime, housing inequities and police brutality. Atlanta was one of those cities and had always reflected a long, complex history — one of segregation and racial violence and one of Black progress and excellence. That summer, the world was full of turmoil, but it was also

full of possibility as the promise of change was in the air, and it was in this climate that Swift faced a tough decision as a high school senior. Swift’s outstanding performance at Booker T. Washington High School — Georgia’s first public high school for Black students and the alma mater of many influential Black leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. — garnered her acceptance at both Spelman College and Morris Brown College, where her closest friends were going. For Swift, it would make sense for her to attend one of these distinguished institutions of the Atlanta University Center, a consortium of leading private historically Black colleges and universities. Still, she had also been offered a substantial scholarship to attend Agnes Scott. Just two years earlier, Gay Johnson McDougall ’69x, H ’10, whose mother taught at Swift’s storied high school and who was from her Southwest Atlanta neighborhood, had integrated the prestigious women’s college in 1965. The courageous young woman was undeterred by the fact that Agnes Scott had lagged years behind the state’s public and most

of its private colleges in accepting Black students and that McDougall had left after one year due to her negative experiences on campus. Swift was fascinated with other cultures and was adventurous, and although Decatur was only 10 miles from her home, it felt like a world away. Her mother and grandmother both encouraged her to enroll in the newly integrated college, where she planned to major in Spanish. She arrived on campus in the fall of 1967 as a day student, which required her to take four buses each day. Students were polite to Swift, but as one of two Black students for the first two years, she did not feel welcomed into campus life. However, she befriended other day students and forged relationships with them as they studied and relaxed together in the day students’ lounge, The Hub and other campus spaces. Between classes she worked in the dormitory department as a clerical aide to satisfy the workstudy requirement with many Black staff members who were always encouraging and kind. Despite her loneliness, Swift never complained and was determined to graduate. Coming of age during the civil

rights movement, she understood the significance of her presence at Agnes Scott. Strong support at home and close connections with her high school friends who were attending the historically Black colleges of the Atlanta University Center are what helped Swift stay the course, says her daughter Shanika Dawn Swift ’93. “My mother wanted to meet new people and have new experiences. It was a bold move, especially during the racial climate of that era. Living at home helped my mother keep a balance,” she notes. “My grandmother is strong-willed and had the perseverance to finish her education at an all-white institution. No matter what she faced, she powered through,” adds her granddaughter Tori Cervantes ’18. Throughout her studies at Agnes Scott, Swift, petite and quiet, made a memorable impression. In 1968, first-year Belita Stafford Walker ’72, who became the college’s second Black graduate, met her in the day students’ lounge. “We hit it off instantly,” she says. “She seemed so glamorous to me as a Spanish major. She was hip and cool, and I loved her dry sense of humor. I looked up to her because Edna was going her own way.” Swift advised Walker on issues with professors and on what she could expect. “Just knowing that she was there and available if I needed her was reassuring,” says Walker. “When she got her college ring, I couldn’t wait to get mine. We had a mutual, unspoken understanding of being the only African-American students on campus. It was a bond of purpose. We were there to gain an education and complete our education.” Although they did not often see each other on campus, they pledged Delta Sigma Theta sorority together at Spelman, visited each other’s homes and eventually got back in touch after graduation — a friendship that continues today. At Agnes Scott, Swift excelled in her major, and she was selected to participate in a study abroad program in Mexico. That experience kicked off a lifelong passion for travel and solidified her love of the

Inset:The 1967 Silhouette yearbook photo of Agnes Scott College’s first Black graduate, Edna Lowe Swift ’71, when she was a first-year student.The 1971 Silhouette yearbook photo of Swift as a senior; her photo is modeled on an iconic image of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton, which can be seen in the background.

language and Spanish culture. She taught at Atlanta Public Schools for 28 years, during which she sponsored students on nine study abroad trips. In 2000, the Embassy of Spain presented Swift with a scholarship, and she earned her master’s degree in Spanish language and culture at the University of Salamanca. She retired in 2005. “The gift that Edna gave to us came with a cost to her in terms of her experiences on campus as one of the first Black students,” says Robiaun Charles, vice president for college advancement. “Today, Agnes Scott prides itself on its representative racial and ethnic

diversity, but beyond just having a diverse student body, we are committed to the success of our students, which includes graduation. Edna’s decision was groundbreaking and paved the way for where we are today.” Swift’s daughter Shanika received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Agnes Scott, and her granddaughter Tori, following closely in her grandmother’s footsteps, received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. Shanika went on to earn an MBA from Mercer University and is the director of research operations for NEPC, an investment consulting firm, while

Tori handles logistics and customer service for Bover, an international lighting company based in Spain. Shanika recalls how much diversity at the college had changed from when she was a student versus when her mother was, but there was still a way to go. “The campus was far more diverse by 1989 through 1994, but only about 6% to10% of the population was Black,” she says. “I was one of only two Black math majors. The other one became my daughter’s godmother.” There was no organized support for Black students at Agnes Scott until Students for Black Awareness formed during the 1976-1977 academic year, with about 15 members. “Its mission was to educate white Scotties about the needs and concerns of Black students, and to celebrate unity through diversity and promote academic excellence,” says Damaris Billups, a sophomore from Augusta, Georgia, who serves as the historian for Witkaze, the name adopted by the Black student organization in the early 1990s. “By 2021, 341 students — more than 35% of the student body — identified as Black or AfricanAmerican. That’s remarkable when you consider that the class of 1973 didn’t graduate any Black students.” Despite the strides made in diversity among Agnes Scott’s student body, work remains to be done. “The experience of every Black Scottie I’ve encountered has some element of microaggressions around [their] major, housing or campus safety,” says Billups, noting that one of the deciding factors in her choice to attend was the breadth of campus organizations devoted to diversity. “Microaggressions are not rare, but the school has been very intentional about diversity and creating support structures and systems that allow Black students to be successful. Black students are involved in leadership in every aspect of campus life.” Today, 50 years after Swift crossed a stage on a warm day in May to accept her degree, Agnes Scott is recognized nationally for its

Elementary school picture of Edna Lowe Swift ’71 circa 1959. Swift in Salamanca, Spain, circa 2000. Below: Edna Lowe Swift ’71 with her daughter Shanika Dawn Swift ’93 (left) and granddaughter Tori Cervantes ’18 (center) at Tori’s Agnes Scott College graduation in 2018. All photos courtesy of Shanika Dawn Swift ’93.

diverse student population, an achievement for which she laid the path. Several years ago, the college established the Edna Lowe Swift Trailblazer Award, which is given each year during the Mosaic Awards Banquet to a faculty or staff member in recognition of their contribution to creating a more inclusive community at Agnes Scott. And at this year’s Alumnae Weekend, Swift’s classmates honored her during their 50th reunion with plans for another special celebratory program on campus in the fall, including a commemorative bench dedication. “Edna paved the way for Black students to graduate from Agnes Scott by providing an example of doing so, like a beacon of light at the end of a tunnel,” says Tomiko Jenkins, senior associate dean of students and a 2017 recipient of the Edna Lowe Swift Trailbazer Award. “She forged a pathway of success as the first Black graduate 50 years ago, and fast-forward to today, the student population at the college is 63.2% students of color.”

“Edna personifies exactly the aim that we have for our graduates: a strong leader who is dedicated to community and excellence and who is willing to take risks when an important goal is at stake,” says President Leocadia I. Zak. “We’re proud of her lasting legacy, and we’re excited to honor her and to mark as a community this significant occasion in Agnes Scott’s history.” Tori says that her grandmother is proud of the work the college has done on diversity and inclusion over the past 50 years since her graduation. “She thinks it’s great that there are now students of every ethnicity and that her graduating led to all of this happening,” says the thirdgeneration Scottie, who hopes her two young daughters will carry on the family legacy. “She loves that there is an award named after her and given to trailblazers. Few people get the opportunity to be part of history, and she’s proud of being the first Black student to graduate from Agnes Scott. She is a pioneer for minority women.”

ACCOMPLISHMENT... pass it on

Your Agnes Scott education inspired, empowered and emboldened you to reach for everything you are today. Help future Scotties reach their own heights with a gift to Agnes Scott in your will or estate plans.

TO MAKE YOUR LEGACY GIFT, contact Lee Davis, senior associate director of leadership and legacy giving, at 404.471.5448 or ldavis@agnesscott.edu. 21

Answering the Call: Agnes Scott Charts The Way Forward for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion By Jennifer Jiles

2020 unveiled an unprecedented state of social unrest across the globe that forced a national dialogue on race and injustice. What was revealed are the lingering conflicts and issues of racism and intolerance that have been part of the country for centuries. Amid these issues, college campuses revamped efforts reflecting on their diversity programs and how to chart the way forward. 23

“One could say the impetus [for the justice, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts] came from within. It is who we are.” —Yves-Rose Porcena, vice president for equity and inclusion.

How can one academic institution ensure it makes a sustainable impact on social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion that endures beyond this particular moment in U.S. history? Can a college that is recognized for having one of the most diverse student bodies in the country still have work to do around its DEI initiatives? The short answer is yes. However, though Agnes Scott College has long demonstrated a commitment to diversity, its faculty, staff, students and alums are engaged in a goal-driven effort to become the role model of an inclusive community that society can aspire to replicate. The centerpiece of that effort is the college’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan, which Agnes Scott began creating in June 2020, at the height of last summer’s national protests for racial equality. “One could say the impetus came from within. It is who we are,” says Yves-Rose Porcena, vice president for equity and inclusion. The plan is a continuum of diversity efforts already underway at the college and is inclusive of all members of the Agnes Scott community, including but not limited to individuals and groups based upon race, color, country of origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability and veteran status. In July 2019, President Leocadia I. Zak hired Porcena as Agnes Scott’s inaugural vice president for

equity and inclusion, signaling the high priority the college was placing on DEI initiatives. Five months later, the Association of American Colleges & Universities selected Agnes Scott as one of 24 universities to host Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Centers. In 2021, Agnes Scott’s Board of Trustees adopted a statement of diversity and anti-racism affirming its commitment to combating racism. Each year, the plan will have a thematic focus, and this year it is anti-racism. The added layer of justice was authored into the college’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan to position the framework of it as a responsibility of one’s own behavior. Justice requires individuals, not only as members of the Agnes Scott community but also as members of society, to examine their beliefs and behaviors. Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion at the college shows up as justice in our behaviors, equity in policies and practices, diversity of constituents and inclusion through voices. As an alum and a Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion faculty fellow, Amy Lovell ’90 can recall times at the college when diversity only echoed sentiments of tolerance. Students of color were welcomed onto the campus, but the primarily white culture of the college intruded on their campus experience.

For both students of color and LGBTQ students, the campus culture was one where diversity was allowed only because those in positions of privilege and power allowed it, not because everyone rightfully belonged. “When I was a student in the 1980s, Agnes Scott was an integrated college in the sense that it was not a white-only institution,” says Lovell, who is also a professor of astronomy at Agnes Scott. “Maybe we started with diversity and then there was conceptual inclusion. However, it was more like ‘It is OK for diverse groups of people to be here,’ but individuals said, ‘I am not going to change my ways.’ I would like the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan to help us move more toward belonging; inclusion suggests that ‘This is mine, but I [will] let you use it too,’ but belonging says ‘We all should be here.’” “I was a student at Agnes Scott twice since 1999; first as an undergraduate and more recently as a graduate student. Those years and being a staff member for more than 10 years have given me great perspective on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion challenges and progress on campus,” adds Phoenicia Battle ’03x, MA’20, assistant director of communications and operations in the Office of Internship and Career Development. “I have watched the demographics of our students, faculty and staff boldly shift toward the vision of a diverse and inclusive campus. That growth, like with anything, tends to cause friction or discomfort for some. Witnessing the resulting rifts from those waves of change seems to have inspired the campus community to strive for solutions like the plan.” The first step in progressing toward a culture of inclusion was admitting to the mistakes of the past and making space for everyone at the table. Agnes Scott understood that advancing the plan to really achieve sustainable change might spark some uncomfortable conversations and force individuals to assess their own contributions to combating social injustice. But even more so, the college understood that answering the call to create a just and equitable community for all was nonnegotiable. Working on the plan brought accountability and forced many hidden conversations from the shadows as it created a space for them to exist without superior critique. “A lot of the things that faculty, staff and students probably talk about privately or talk about within their classes or within their departments are now being addressed in writing, so there is an increased level of accountability,” says Machamma Quinichett, a staff fellow in the Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion, and who is also the director of SUMMIT Advisors and associate director of the Office of Academic Advising and Accessible Education. “The college is saying, ‘The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan states these are initiatives we plan to implement, and this is the community we want to have.’ The plan holds us all accountable for doing our part to dismantle systemic racism.”

What does justice, equity, diversity and inclusion mean? JUSTICE (in behaviors): Doing what’s right. EQUITY (in practices): Fair treatment in policies and practices; equitable opportunities and outcomes. DIVERSITY (in people): All the differences among us. INCLUSION (in voices): Fostering a sense of belonging for all.

Leading Agnes Scott to a Lasting Impact on Social Justice The college did not want to be one of the many organizations that ramp up work on diversity following the renewed attention to issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, and then just stop. Agnes Scott strengthened its efforts so that they would reverberate across the entire campus and out into the community by zeroing in on five key areas that compose the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan: • • • •

Advancing a Culture of Anti-Racism Inspiring and Supporting Our Students Developing and Caring for Our Employees Driving Inclusive Excellence Through Training, Education and Research • Impacting Communities “The plan affirms the college’s recognition that racial equity did not move quite right years ago,” says Rafael Ocasio, Charles A. Dana Professor of Spanish and a faculty fellow in the Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion. “Simply put, we moved very slowly within the time frame of the civil rights movement. I will say that it is groundbreaking for the college to publicly express this level of commitment to diversity and social justice.” 25

“In order to truly see the college’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan survive as a living document, faculty and students must commit to collaboration and ensuring that execution of the plan is a continuing process.” — Catherine Morkel ’21, Class Vice President

Upon the unveiling of the plan this spring, the Agnes Scott community was encouraged to commit to a 21-step action plan that challenged members to take responsibility for their own behaviors, ultimately advancing a deeper understanding of the intersection of race, power, privilege, supremacy and oppression. The shift in the investigative focus of social justice revealed that the college was not in search of who but rather what. What processes or systems were in place to continue to allow for inequities to exist? What was it about the structure of the college, classes and pedagogy? Some of the key milestones for the plan include: • Ensuring a $15 minimum earning wage for every employee • Continual engagement in justice, equity, diversity and inclusion training • Partnerships with student organizations to raise awareness • Restructuring the Office of Human Resources into the Office of People and Culture to strengthen the role of employees as institutional history- and culture-makers and ensure that members of the department have the knowledge, skills and competencies to support the diverse constituents of Agnes Scott

Elevating the Student Voice For the college, it has been imperative to have Agnes Scott students be heard and be involved in the conversations around justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. “Our students have always been advocates for social change and justice. Our students’ voices matter, and so much of this plan elevates the student voice,” says Lucero “Lucy” Rodriguez, director of diversity education. “We would not be able to do the work we do every day without student input and buy-in. We need them every step of the way in order to create systemic change and support underserved and underrepresented students.” 26

As such, student leaders on campus are supporting the college’s efforts to foster an inclusive culture and playing a role in ensuring that student concerns are addressed, which include increased faculty diversity, incorporating more diversity into the curriculum and mandatory diversity training for faculty and staff. As advocates and ambassadors, these student leaders are also deeply and personally invested in the different ways they are contributing to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion and inspiring other students to be a part of the work being done at Agnes Scott. Damaris Billups ’23, a member of the executive board of ASCEND, the LGBTQIA+ student organization, finds the values of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion are ingrained in her everyday life. She says the impetus for her work was encountering spaces that lacked inclusion and a feeling of belonging, and she does not want any other individual from a marginalized group to feel that level of isolation. “Agnes Scott has done a great job including the student voice in the conversation,” says Billups. “I have a voice here, and it is not exclusively my own. I have a voice to speak to a cause for all the people I represent. Inclusion is notable here and helps me take on the sense of belonging.”

Chan Spaulding ’22, chair of the Coalition of Student Multicultural Organizations (COSMO), has centered her work on closing gaps in communication in efforts to create space for student concerns to be heard by administration. COSMO chairs the Presidential Student Advisory Council on diversity panels, which organizes regular meetings with President Leocadia I. Zak and members of the student body. Spaulding notes students can support the college’s justice, equity, diversity and inclusion efforts by serving as a constant checkpoint and offering feedback. She goes on to say, “We have to incorporate what we need in Agnes Scott life. This is why it is critical that our voices be heard. The population of students of color is increasing here at Agnes Scott; it is important for future students of color to come and feel that they have a voice.” This academic year, students of color make up 63.2% of Agnes Scott’s student body. Ché Carter ’21, president of Witkaze, the Black student organization, agrees with Spaulding, stating that even though students share concerns about issues of racism and injustice among one another, she encourages them to show up in the different spaces the college offers and speak up to the issues. “We’re talking among ourselves about what we want to see and what we want the campus to have, but we’re not talking to the people who are making those plans or are in those rooms,” she says. “The student body should use [its] voice in a directed and impactful way.” In collaboration with the Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion, Jasmine Paul ’21, president of the Student Government Association, has worked with other SGA members to author several bills and resolutions designed to create a culture of belonging for all students. Paul calls the Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan a “great start” in the right direction for the college and its campus climate. After SGA learned that many students of color felt marginalized by coursework curricula and syllabi, its most recent resolutions seek to decolonize the curriculum to make it more inclusive. Leah Trotman ’21, class president, and Catherine Morkel ’21, class vice president, were integral in drafting the SGA resolutions on decolonizing the curriculum. “They were drafted on the premise that oftentimes in classes, we are not hearing from Black, brown, minority or disadvantaged voices. So, how could we figure out a way to get faculty to encourage those voices to ensure that their living experiences were being seen, heard and valued? The process began at an hourlong call-in in 2020 after the unjust killings. There was lots of talking, but the [question] was ‘What are action steps that we can take to move forward?’” explains Trotman. Morkel adds that it was key for SGA to work with faculty in conjunction with the resolution so that the efforts will be impactful and continue on.

Both Trotman, who has been championing mandating diversity workshops and training for faculty and staff, and Morkel, who is an Impact Peer Leader focused on accessibility issues for those with disabilities, say the college listens to student voices, but listening is only one component in effecting real change. “In order to truly see the college’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan survive as a living document, faculty and students must commit to collaboration and ensuring that execution of the plan is a continuing process.”

Advancing Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Social justice through participation, engagement and collaboration is key to sustaining justice, equity, diversity and inclusion at Agnes Scott. The plan is poised to be a proactive initiative and ongoing rather than reactively seeking to uncover and undo patterns of injustice that have resulted in today’s climate of a reckoning on race. This is why the plan was designed to evolve and will be updated continually to ensure that the inevitable change of faculty, staff and students will not impede progress toward the plan’s goals. “Justice, equity, diversity and inclusion is not a destination — it’s a journey,” says Porcena.

See these resources for information: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan agnesscott.edu/diversity-and-inclusion/ global-diversity-and-inclusion-plan.html Board of Trustees Official Statement: Reaffirming Commitment to Diversity and Anti-Racism agnesscott.edu/president/bot-jedi.html Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Programs and Action agnesscott.edu/center-for-diversity-andinclusion/truth-racial-healing-andtransformation.html

Auburn Randolph, Auburn Randolph Photography

Working to Be a Part of

the Solution Jacinta Williams PB’07 has spent her career helping to make sure everyone has a voice. By Sara Baxter

hen Jacinta Williams PB’07 was in college, her plan was to become a lawyer. But, as they sometimes do, plans changed. She fell in love with teaching. Williams graduated in 2003 from Emory University with a degree in sociology. While she intended to head straight to law school, she instead decided to take a year off. She looked for something productive to do with her time and a way to give back to the community. She found Teach For America, which combined her interest in working with children — she had volunteered in an elementary school while at Emory — and serving the community. She was accepted and placed in a public elementary school in downtown Atlanta. Since Teach For America required a two-year commitment, she figured law school could wait for two years. But when she walked into the classroom, she knew she had found her calling. “The minute I saw those 12 faces looking at me, I knew it was where I belonged,” she says. “It was effortless and enjoyable. I fell in love with teaching and the community.” This is where her career path took a turn. The two years of teaching turned into seven. A law degree was replaced with the completion of Agnes Scott College’s post-baccalaureate early childhood preparation program and a master’s degree in early childhood education from Oglethorpe University. And observations and experiences in the classroom fostered an interest in racial equity and inclusion. After seven years of teaching, Williams then spent two more as an instructional coach. Along the way, she was becoming aware of certain issues that were a deterrent for BIPOC students in a learning environment. “In the classroom, I started noticing that systemic change was needed,” Williams says. “I saw the disparity in educational equity in terms of what resources were available to students based on where they lived. It manifested itself in an opportunity gap for students.

You often see that play out all the way to college.” When her elementary school closed, a victim of redistricting, she returned to Teach For America, working in teacher development and training. It was there that she began addressing diversity, equity and inclusion issues in Teach For America schools. Williams defines equity as providing people with the tools they need to be successful and removing barriers to success that are systemic. She defines inclusion as ensuring that all people have a voice and have a place at the table to use their voices toward solution building.

After four years, she left Teach For America and became the head of equity and inclusion at the Atlanta International School, where she was tasked with developing a strategy for systemic change in equity and inclusion. She spent her days working with teachers on professional development and lesson plans and assisting the school to develop anti-bias hiring practices that helped them hire and retain a culturally diverse workforce. She also led discussions with the board, parents and students. “We worked on the student experience to make sure it was culturally affirming,” she says.

“I believe people coming together across lines of difference for open, authentic learning and/or dialogue is critical in achieving an equitable and just world.” —Jacinta Williams PB’07 “Leaders are trying to make the best decisions for the community, but they are not listening to the people who need the problem solved,” Williams says. “In order to solve the problem, you have to center the voice of the people who are experiencing the issue or the failure. Their voices really matter.”

“We wanted to create a space for students to explore their identity, discuss critical issues and process their experiences.” Aside from her full-time job, Williams made time to consult on the side, helping organizations with diversity, equity and inclusion issues. She shared her expertise as a panelist

An expert in her field, Jacinta Williams PB’07 works with organizations, including schools, to help them understand diversity, equity and inclusion issues. Above,Williams teaches an anti-bias lesson focused on celebrating our identities and those of others. Photo courtesy Jacinta Williams PB’07.

in the Anti-Racist Work Begins at Home: A Community Courageous Conversation, which was organized by Agnes Scott’s Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion last summer. “I believe people coming together across lines of difference for open, authentic learning and/or dialogue is critical in achieving an equitable and just world,” she says. “Seeing so many people show up to that space to learn, grow and ask questions was a powerful experience for me in the midst of the pain I was holding and experiencing as a Black woman during that time. It was also an opportunity for the Agnes Scott community and friends to come together to move in the direction of equity and justice, as the first step is awareness and acknowledgment on a personal, institutional and societal levels.” In October, Williams left the Atlanta International School to focus full time on her consulting business. She launched CultureEd Collective, where she helps empower schools and nonprofits to build a sustainable, equitable and inclusive culture. In that capacity, she conducts organizational assessments to determine what is working and what is not and examines the organization’s systems from all angles. Although she admits this work can cause “frustration and downright despair,” she also finds it extremely rewarding. And that’s what keeps her going. “Diversity, equity and inclusion work done well has the potential to solve our most persistent social challenges by addressing both the historical and current contexts that contribute to inequity and exclusion, dismantling systems designed to be inequitable, and redesigning and rebuilding to create a better reality for everyone,” Williams says. “Seeing the change, even if in small pockets, gives me hope for the future. I can’t solve it on my own, but I can be part of the solution.”

SELECTED COVERS THROUGH THE YEARS The Writers’ Festival magazine and poster covers are highly anticipated each year and designed by either Agnes Scott College students or an editor of the magazine.

Celebrating

50 Years of the Writers’ Festival Over the years, Agnes Scott College has showcased distinguished writers and nurtured new ones. By Sara Baxter

hen prize-winning playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger ’00 was a student at Agnes Scott College, her favorite time of year was the annual Writers’ Festival. She met writers like Jane Smiley, Pearl Cleage, Jamaica Kincaid, Eavan Boland and Joyce Carol Oates. She read their works, listened to their stories and chatted with them in person. And for the first time, she could see herself as a writer. “I loved to write and had been writing short stories and plays throughout my childhood,” Goldfinger says. “But I never knew it could be a profession. Seeing those writers, and talking to them, gave me the confidence to say to myself, ‘You can do this,’ and to go out there and try,” she says. For 50 years, distinguished poets, short story authors, novelists, playwrights and creative nonfiction writers have been a part of the Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival. They have impacted and inspired hundreds of students just like Goldfinger. “It’s been a treat to see the legacy and the importance the festival and the writers have had on the students in the writing community,” says Nicole Stamant, associate professor of English, who oversaw this year’s festival. “The Writers’ Festival is attached to the overall profile and reputation of the college as a place where writing is nurtured, respected and promoted,” adds Willie Tolliver, professor of English.

The annual Writers’ Festival author talks consistently draw a significant number of attendees, including Agnes Scott College students. Photo from 2014 Writers’ Festival.

1973 Writers’ Festival guest writer Robert Penn Warren (left) and former Writers’ Festival Director and the late Professor Emerita of English Margaret W. Pepperdene

Before the festival began, Agnes Scott already had a long tradition of bringing significant writers and cultural figures to its campus. Poet Robert Frost spent a week at the college every year from 1945 to 1962. Flannery O’Connor and W.H. Auden also were visitors. Building on that reputation, the college’s English department, spearheaded by Bo Ball, the late emeritus professor of English at Agnes Scott, created the Writers’ Festival. “They had a strong feeling that students should be exposed to writers on a regular basis, and they recognized that students could learn from other writers,” says Christine Cozzens, vice president for academic affairs, dean of the college and Charles A. Dana Professor of English, who has been teaching at Agnes Scott since 1987. “They felt that the presence of published writers would be very powerful.” In organizing the festival, Ball also established a statewide writing contest in which college students, from undergraduates to doctoral students, could submit fiction and poetry. That contest is still going strong today and was expanded in the 1990s to include dramatic writing and nonfiction essays to reflect the four genres taught at the college. An independent panel of judges chooses the finalists, and the festival guest writers select the winners in each category. Finalists’ submissions are featured in a

festival magazine that is edited and produced by students during a semester-long course. “The contest is a brilliant way to look at what young writers across the state are doing,” says Stamant. Although the contest is open to all Georgia college students, Agnes Scott students are regularly on the winner’s list. “It was such an incredible opportunity,” says Kristin Hall ’06, who won the playwriting category three years in a row. “I love being able to list ‘published playwright’ on my theatrical resume thanks to the Writers’ Festival.” May Sarton, Michael Mott and Marion Montgomery were the invited writers at the first festival. For the next five decades, the Agnes Scott Writers’ Festival earned a solid reputation for attracting distinguished writers, such as Robert Penn Warren, Eudora Welty, Alfred Uhry, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Junot Díaz, John Updike and Joy Harjo, to name a few. As the festival evolved, the organizers added a writer-in-residence program about 10 years ago, in which a featured writer spends a week at the college and teaches a one-hour credit class. Nonfiction writer Scott Russell Sanders was the first writer-in-residence in 2010. Led by the chair, the English department plans the festival, chooses the writers, coordinates the events and

“The excitement that our students have when they meet these writers is wonderful to watch.” —Christine Cozzens, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dean of the College and Charles A. Dana Professor of English 2009 Writers’ Festival guest writer Anita Desai 32

1984 Writers’ Festival guest writer Richard Wilburn (second from left) with former Writers’ Festival Director and the late Professor Emerita of English Margaret W. Pepperdene (far left)

1997 Writers’ Festival guest writer Pearl Cleage

oversees the student writing contest. The college’s senior director of special events helps with all the logistics. When deciding whom to invite, the department looks for writers whose work will resonate with the students, who come from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds and who will impact the students the most. And when writers arrive, they will be in front of a thoughtful, informed and prepared audience. Most first-year English classes read the authors’ works during spring semester; they come to the Q&A sessions prepared to engage with the writers. “We choose people who are not only great writers, but also those who enjoy interacting with the students,” says Alan Grostephan, associate professor of English. “The writers are happy to be there, and they can sense the passion of the student body. Students come with a wealth of knowledge, and writers can sense when students are informed.” “The excitement that our students have when they meet these writers is wonderful to watch,” adds Cozzens. “They have wonderful questions both about the work and the writing life. It’s a life changing experience for some of them.” While alum writers were included starting as early as 1976, in 2005, the college made a concerted effort to make sure there was one alum at the festival each year.

“The number of published, well-known writers who have graduated from the school is impressive,” says Tolliver. “Having them return inspires the students.” Goldfinger became one of them, taking part in the Writers’ Festival as a featured writer in 2012, 2018 and again this year as a writer-in-residence for the festival’s 50th year. It was something that as a student at the college, she never would have imagined. “The first time I was invited was amazing,” she remembers. “My mind was blown to realize I was one of the people that students would want to talk to. It’s thrilling, terrifying and very satisfying to know you’re helping the next generation of writers move forward and evolve. And I loved the idea that I could give back to a community that has given so much to me.” Since writers spend at least two days on campus and participate in different events beyond just a reading, the Writers’ Festival becomes a real educational opportunity. “Students learn so much from the writers,” Grostephan says. “They hear the ups and downs and frustrations of being a writer. It reinforces what we are trying to do in the classroom in terms of ideas and strategies for writing, but they are hearing it from a different voice. Students feel affirmed as it validates what they are doing is important.”

2000 Writers’ Festival guest writer Joyce Carol Oates

2001 Writers’ Festival guest writers Marsha Norman ’69x, H ’05 (center) and John Updike (right) 33

2003 Writers’ Festival guest writer Julia Alvarez

From left to right: 2012 Writers’ Festival guest writers Jacqueline Goldfinger ’00 (also a 2021 guest writer), Benjamin Percy and Joy Harjo. Photo courtesy of Professor Emeritus of English Jim Diedrick.

Anna Cabe ’13, who won the writing contest in the nonfiction category in 2012 and has published many stories, poems and essays since then, agrees. “I credit the vibrancy of the creative writing community at Agnes Scott for pushing my writing further,” she says. “I was excited to meet writers who’ve published books and won awards like Cristina García, Danzy Senna and Gish Jen. Having them read and take my work seriously meant so much to me at the time, and that care and attention still matters.” As the Agnes Scott community benefits from the annual festival, so does the greater Atlanta community, as the festival is open to the public at no charge. “We work to create an environment that is inclusive where people from all walks of life can come together to share their passion about topics around the guest writers’ works,” says Demetrice Williams, senior director of special events and community relations, who has been instrumental in planning the festival for the past 22 years. “Their passion is fueled by hearing the writers read their work and sparks discussions that sometimes go very late. It’s very exciting to be a spectator in this space.” Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 50th Annual Writers’ Festival was held virtually this year. Along with

Goldfinger, Pulitzer Prize winning poet and U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove (who also came in 1992) was a featured writer. The two writers participated in the traditional Q&A and gave readings via Zoom. Other highlights in celebration of the anniversary included viewing archival footage of past authors, additional readings and the Georgia premiere of Goldfinger’s play “The Arsonists,” which was performed on stage at the Dana Fine Arts Building and streamed three nights for viewers to see. The English department is already hard at work planning next year’s festival. They will once again invite important writers who will continue nurture and inspire future writers. “The Writers’ Festival was always a highlight of my time at Agnes Scott,” says Cheryl Reid ’95, who recently published her first novel and won the festival’s writing contest in the fiction category in 1998 when she was an MFA student at Georgia State University. “I remember going back to my dorm after a reading, feeling inspired by the guests and the community of readers and writers. As a student, the festival gave proof that becoming a writer was a possibility.”

From left to right: 2014 Writers’ Festival guest writers Nick Flynn, Louisa Hill ’09 and Terrance Hayes. Photo courtesy of Professor Emeritus of English Jim Diedrick.

2021 and 1992 Writers’ Festival guest writer Rita Dove

The Next Generation of Creative Writers

Eve Barrett ’21 MAJOR: English-Creative Writing / Minor: Psychology

MY LITERARY GENRES I typically find I gravitate toward creative essay. However, I really enjoy meshing genres together. For example, with lyric essay I can combine elements of poetry, essay and memoir. I find that being creative with genre has helped broaden my writing as well as led me to find and continue to develop my unique writer’s voice. WHAT I ENJOY ABOUT WRITING One of my favorite aspects about writing is connection. The way that different stories, ideas and phenomena can connect with one another, like how an author today can be in conversation with a poet from 1,000 years ago. And these connections can extend past the paper onto the readers themselves. I find it really fascinating what you can connect with and bring into your writing and, in return, who connects with your work on a deeper level. MY FAVORITE AUTHORS Currently, my favorite author is Carmen Maria Machado, author of “In the Dream House” and “Her Body and Other Parties.” My writing that was featured in the Writers’ Festival was actually inspired by “In the Dream House.” THREE WORKS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD READ “In the Dream House” by Carmen Maria Machado, a tie between “On Earth We’re Briefly

Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong and “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric” by Claudia Rankine, and, when you need to read a feel-good book, “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE YOURSELF AS A CREATIVE WRITER IN THE FUTURE? I hope to have more of my work published in literary magazines and other forms of media, maybe even getting a book published! One of my favorite aspects of being a student in the English department is how interactive and supportive my peers and professors are. Even though writing is usually seen as a solitary activity, I don’t really feel like I’m alone in my craft here. I truly hope that I can still have that type of community that values, supports and interacts with my work in the future. WHY IS THE WRITERS’ FESTIVAL AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR STUDENTS? The Writers’ Festival not only gives students the opportunity to get their writing published, but it also connects readers with amazing guest speakers who have been where we have been, some even alums of Agnes itself. Through the Writers’ Festival, students can also learn under a talented writer for a short but intensive course. The Writers’ Festival provides students with a space to fully engage in their work and to see others do the same, and I think that by itself is just a valuable experience. 35

Maya Gelting ’21

Camryn Smith ’21

Major: English Literature-Creative Writing Minor: Public Health

Double Major: Neuroscience and English Literature-Creative Writing

MY LITERARY GENRES Recently, I have been doing a lot of playwriting, but I also enjoy writing fiction. WHAT I ENJOY ABOUT WRITING I love that writing allows me to communicate in a really intimate and beautiful way. It makes people feel like they’re not alone. That’s why I’m happy when my work makes someone cry — it means it resonated with them, that it showed something that was real and honest. For me, writing is something that has always been deeply personal. It allows me to speak in a style of language that, in its myriad of influences, is ultimately mine alone. MY FAVORITE AUTHOR Sir Terry Pratchett! He manages to write in a way that is poignant but also so much fun! I love the ridiculousness of his stories and the way they still feel important because of it, not despite it. THREE WORKS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD READ “Going Postal” by Terry Pratchett, “Name of the Wind” by Patrick Rothfuss, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE YOURSELF AS A CREATIVE WRITER IN THE FUTURE? As well as continuing to refine my craft in a variety of genres, I hope to focus on dramatic writing after graduation and explore screenwriting as a career. WHY IS THE WRITERS’ FESTIVAL AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR STUDENTS? The Writers’ Festival helps students build confidence in our writing that we need to promote our own work and seek out other opportunities to refine it. It also makes us feel like we are part of a community. 36

MY LITERARY GENRES Short fiction and creative nonfiction. WHAT I ENJOY ABOUT WRITING Starting out, I enjoyed being able to tell stories like how I saw them in my favorite books I read as a child. I wrote of adventures, expressing a sort of dream of escape into some fantasy world that I knew wasn’t real but that felt real, just like it feels real for a moment when reading. But as I got older, I began to read more books in which the adventure was life itself and not one within a fantasy world. The adventure was finding meaning in life and in the day-to-day monotony of it all. I fell in love with the mundane and so what I enjoy about writing now is expressing that same childlike feeling of magic and fantasy in the mundane, and in the adventure of day-to-day life — because describing one’s walk across a park, pouring a cup of coffee or listening in on a conversation in the grocery store is just as spectacular to me as those old, dreamlike adventures. MY FAVORITE AUTHOR It is currently a tie between Shirley Jackson and Samanta Schweblin. THREE WORKS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD READ The three works that have influenced my writing most that everyone should read are “The Body Artist” by Don DeLillo, “What We Lose” by Zinzi Clemmons and “A Bestiary” by Lily Hoang. WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE YOURSELF AS A CREATIVE WRITER IN THE FUTURE? In the future, I hope to still be writing. I hope that I never give up. A professor once told me that the successful writers are the ones who kept at it. So in the future, I simply would like to still be at it, writing, creating stories that I connect with and that others

connect with. Of course, there is the wish that more people will read my work someday, but so long as I’m continuing to create work to be read, no matter the audience I may or may not reach, then I’ll still consider myself a creative writer and consider myself successful because I’m doing the thing that fulfills me the most. WHY IS THE WRITERS’ FESTIVAL AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR STUDENTS? The first time one of my stories was accepted to the Writers’ Festival, I thought that I could really make a go at trying to be a writer. Before then, by simply participating in the various activities offered during the Writers’ Festival week, I got a chance to experience a writing community for the first time. The energy within a room

filled with writers and readers is unmatched, and watching the visiting writers speak about their writing was a great turning point for me as a writer. My favorite event to attend is the Q&A because that’s when the students get to interact with the writers most, and I always loved hearing other perspectives on approaches to writing and reading. It is important to see yourself in the real world through others who are currently at the point in which you hope to be someday. It shows us that it’s possible to get there and that there is a community surrounding us all the while on that journey despite writing being a rather solitary act. I would still be writing even if it weren’t for the Writers’ Festival, but without the magazine, the events, the students and the writers, I’d feel less earnest.

Virginia Woolf’s life, basically, and I’m such a huge fan of Virginia Woolf. Queerness, time-warping and madness are some of my favorite things to find in a book, and this one has all those things. Everyone should read “She Said” by Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor. That’s a great piece of journalism on how these two reporters broke the Harvey Weinstein story. And everyone ought to read “Electric Arches” by Eve L. Ewing. That’s a magical piece of poetry for Black girls.

Maya Martin ’22 Major: English Literature-Creative Writing MY LITERARY GENRES Essay and poetry. WHAT I ENJOY ABOUT WRITING Writing helps me figure things out. The things that happen to us are messy and confusing, and writing makes meaning out of them. MY FAVORITE AUTHOR My favorite author right now is Lidia Yuknavitch. I didn’t know that writing could do what she makes it do. She messes up time. One page could be a jumble of raw emotions, and the next could be simple poetry. I cannot pick up one of Yuknavitch’s books without immediately feeling the need to spill my guts onto a page. THREE WORKS THAT EVERYONE SHOULD READ Everyone should read “The Hours” by Michael Cunningham and watch the movie too. It’s a fan fiction of

WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO SEE YOURSELF AS A CREATIVE WRITER IN THE FUTURE? I am going into political journalism, and I hope that my creative writing classes and other experiences have prepared me well to write clean and concise news stories. I’ve come to understand a lot of American history and race relations through literature, and that will serve me well. WHY IS THE WRITERS’ FESTIVAL AN IMPORTANT EVENT FOR STUDENTS? Well, the day after my first Writers’ Festival was the day that I decided to become a creative writing major. I saw Nikky Finney perform her new poem about Zora Neale Hurston. I forget the specific details of that poem, but the image of a woman in the poem writing on her arm “six eyes questioning god”—I don’t know, but it awakened something in me. Then the next day in class, our professor, Nicole Stamant, led us through the acknowledgments page of Nikky Finney’s poetry book “Head Off & Split.” It was about our Black ancestors who were denied the right to read and write because reading and writing hold such power for the oppressed. And Dr. Stamant talked about what a wonderful thing it was for us to be sitting there in that room, reading these powerful, challenging works, you know? That’s a moment I’ll never forget.

Photos courtesy of Eve Barrett ’21, Maya Gelting ’21, Camryn Smith ’21 and Maya Martin ’22 37

Outstanding Alumnae Agnes Scott College is proud to celebrate the 2021 Outstanding Alumnae Award winners. Nominated by their fellow alumnae, the distinguished recipients were recognized for their notable accomplishments that demonstrate how Scotties are truly leading everywhere. —By Monica Gayles Dorsey

DISTINGUISHED CAREER

Ellen Weinberg Boney ’86 At a time when thousands, indeed millions, are in need of health care services, Ellen Weinberg Boney ’86 is leading the way in the health care field not only as a doctor but also an administrator. She is currently the deputy chief of staff of the Columbia VA Healthcare System in Columbia, South Carolina, where she oversees health care services for more than 86,000 veterans. In her role, she works to develop ways to ensure that routine care does not worsen during the COVID-19 crisis. Photo courtesy of Ellen Weinberg Boney ’86 She was surprised and excited to receive the 2021 Distinguished Career Outstanding Alumnae Award. “With so many outstanding women representing Agnes Scott College, it is truly an honor to be selected,” Boney says. A Charles A. Dana Scholar, Boney graduated from Agnes Scott with a degree in chemistry and continued her education at the Medical University of South Carolina, receiving her Doctor of Medicine in 1991 and completing a residency in anesthesia at Emory University, where she taught and practiced for several years. She continued in the field of anesthesiology in Rome, Georgia, as director at the Floyd Medical Center and later as managing partner of Preferred Anesthesia Consultants. Her distinguished career includes serving as director of operations at Lighthouse Anesthesia with former Agnes Scott classmate Mary Margaret Cooke ’86. Later, she entered the financial industry, passing the General Securities Representative Exam, Series 7, 66 and 24, with high scores. In a biography, Boney notes, “The real gifts from Agnes Scott are the ability to think independently, the ability to think creatively and the ability to lead thoughtfully.” With these gifts, she made a seamless transition from private practice to corporate, becoming regional anesthesia medical director of Hilton Head Hospital and president of the ApolloMD anesthesia division, where she increased the net revenue over $4.48 million in her first year as president. Later, she became the chief operating officer of MedStream Anesthesia, managing over 500 providers. Recently, she became a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s largest professional society for health care leaders. Boney is pleased “to see so many women entering the medical field. However, there are still glass ceilings in some areas that need breaking. I am excited to see what the next generation of Agnes Scott physicians and other professionals will accomplish.” She has already blazed the path for them to do precisely that.

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Virginia “Ginger” Rollins Hopkins ’72 “What sets Virginia ‘Ginger’ Rollins Hopkins ’72 apart from others is that she never stops in her efforts to bring hope to what others describe as hopeless” is how Virginia Dunaway ’56 describes the impact that Hopkins has had on hundreds of children at Brewster Elementary School, Photo courtesy of Virginia “Ginger” Rollins Hopkins ’72 located in one of the most underfunded districts in Memphis, Tennessee. Hopkins’ service goes beyond teaching. It includes fulfilling student needs that often go unmet — providing food, clothing, shoes and transportation, and giving students a chance to showcase their talents and perform for large audiences. In 2006, she began teaching Orff music at Brewster Elementary School and started the Beacons of Light Chorus. Her desire to teach children music turned into musical productions that began with 25 students in 2007 to now over a hundred. Although many of her students could not speak English, Hopkins convinced them to participate in productions that drew audiences of more than 1,000. In some of the musicals, like “The Wizard of Oz” and “Annie,” performing meant more than just singing a song. As a third grader at the school says,

“I felt very proud to be Annie last year because it helped me express myself. It feels good when Mrs. Hopkins helps me improve.” Hopkins also began the first urban garden in a Memphis elementary school, the B.U.G. Club, where underserved children learned the importance of gardening and proper nutrition. Before becoming a life-changing musical teacher and mentor, Hopkins began her career performing in nationally known symphony orchestras. In a six-year span, she sang with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, and she toured with the Southern Opera as a lead alto soloist. Hopkins received a bachelor’s degree in music from Agnes Scott, a master’s degree in musicology from Georgia State University and a master’s degree in vocal performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, where she was awarded a postgraduate scholarship to focus on voice. She taught private voice lessons at Rhodes College before she began teaching at Brewster Elementary. When Hopkins learned of receiving this award, she said, “At Agnes Scott, much was given to me — academically, experientially and socially. It is only right that those of us who have the opportunity to do so should pass the gift along to others.”

SERVICE TO THE COLLEGE

Betty Derrick ’68 Members of the class of 1968 describe Betty Derrick as “the thread” that holds them together. They are therefore not surprised that she received the 2021 Outstanding Alumnae Service to the College Award. “I can think of no alum who is more deserving of this Photo courtesy of Betty Derrick ’68 recognition,” Susan Stevens Hitchcock ’67 says. “Actually, it’s overdue.” Derrick began her studies at Agnes Scott in 1964 as a National Merit Scholar pursuing a degree in history. She served as treasurer and vice president of the student government and treasurer of Mortar Board. A natural leader, she co-chaired a committee with Kathryn Glick, professor of classical languages and literatures, that proposed the pass-fail option still in existence today. After graduating from Agnes Scott with a bachelor’s degree in history, Derrick worked at Southern Bell for over 20 years, leaving in 1972 to study at Rice University, where she earned a master’s degree in history. She returned to Southern Bell and retired in 1996 as assistant vice president of business services. For over 50 years, Derrick has served as secretary of the class of 1968 and, in that capacity, she has gathered

and maintained confidential information, keeping members of the class informed, in touch and aware of college news and happenings. In fact, her hard work and dedication inspired the class to reach its goal for its annual fund campaign every year. In 2019, she made a significant gift to the Campaign for Main in memory of one of her classmates. While serving as class secretary, she also worked as special assistant to then President Mary Brown Bullock ’66 in 1996 and, in the following year, as special assistant to Gué Pardue Hudson ’68, vice president for student life and community relations at the time. Derrick is now beginning her third year as chair of the Atlanta Alumnae’s Winter Seminar, a growing lecture series that has provided nearly $100,000 in scholarship funds. In addition to strengthening the bonds of her class, she has also strengthened the Agnes Scott community by bringing “The Hub Sing Song Book” to life. Her service is a testimony of her love for Agnes Scott, which classmates Ann Wilder ’68 and Ethel Carter ’68 describe as “enabling us to cry together, laugh together and celebrate our connection to each other and to Agnes Scott. Surely the greatest service is the creation of a caring community.” 39

OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNA

Jordan Casteel ’11 Whether we are drawn to an exhibit by headlines in The New York Times or Vogue, or by gallery notes for a solo exhibition at the New Museum, when we see the name Jordan Casteel ’11, we know that the exhibit will be profound in its brilliance Photo courtesy of Jordan Casteel ’11 and in its originality. As Agnes Scott Professor of Art Nell Ruby writes, “It would not be an exaggeration to use the term ‘skyrocketed’ to express Jordan’s now-international acclaim.” There can be no candidate more fitting for the Outstanding Young Alumna Award than Casteel, according to Ruby. “She represents the integration of the noble ideas of a liberal arts education in everyday practice,” she notes. Casteel, born in Denver, Colorado, graduated from Agnes Scott with a bachelor’s degree in studio art. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking from Yale University School of Art in 2014. Scholarship on her art — published in books and magazines — is extensive and significant, an achievement

for an artist who only seven years ago completed graduate school. Casteel has had residencies at Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program in Brooklyn and the Studio Museum in Harlem, several group exhibitions, six permanent collections and more than five solo exhibitions. Casteel’s former professors are not surprised by her success. They remember her as a serious and disciplined student who got to know everyone on an individual level. Anne Beidler, professor of art history, recalls Casteel as a “bright and endlessly curious young student with a depth of personhood.” The language of her art is the language of social justice. In the words of Casteel’s former professor of art, Katherine Smith, “Her work does not simply engage the social and intellectual challenges of our times; it anticipates them.” In the commencement speech she delivered at Agnes Scott’s 2019 ceremony, Casteel said it was the nurturing environment at the college that allowed her to “embrace myself unapologetically.” She reminisced of her time at Agnes Scott, saying, “I learned that with each step off the cliff, my wings would get stronger, better at keeping me at a cruising altitude.” This Outstanding Young Alumna does not cruise. She soars.

About the Outstanding Alumnae Awards Each year, the Agnes Scott Alumnae Association recognizes outstanding alumnae in four categories: Distinguished Career, Service to the College, Service to the Community and Outstanding Young Alumna. Visit agnesscott.edu/alumnae/ outstanding-alumnae.html to learn more, including how to nominate an alum for the 2022 Outstanding Alumnae Awards. Any alum may be nominated for an award, regardless of class year (i.e., the alumna does not have to be in a reunion year to be nominated or to win). Contact alumnae@ agnesscott.edu with questions.

The Office of Graduate and Extended Programs is pleased to announce Mina Ivanova, PhD, as our new faculty director of the Writing and Digital Communication Program. "Mina Ivanova, PhD, brings demonstrated expertise in communication, writing and digital technology, and years of experience leading our Center for Writing and Speaking. Her vision for the program prepares students for professional success through advanced knowledge of effective writing and digital communication." —Christine Cozzens, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Agnes Scott's graduate degree programs include interdisciplinary instruction and flexible schedules and are coeducational: • Data Analysis and Communication • Data Visualization • Evaluation and Assessment Methods

• Social Innovation • Technology Leadership and Management • Writing and Digital Communication

Applications are now being accepted for fall 2021 admission.

Learn more at agnesscott.edu/forwardthinkers. Agnes Scott College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Contact the Commission at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call 404.679.4500 for questions about the accreditation of Agnes Scott College.

Gifts in Honor and Memory By Karina Antenucci

Making a gift in honor or memory of a spouse or loved one to Agnes Scott College is one of the many meaningful ways to celebrate their lives and pay tribute to them. Scotties are known for how passionately they feel about their alma mater, and gifts made in their honor or memory become a lasting symbol of their connection to Agnes Scott and the impact their treasured time at the college had on them. The gift also provides generous support to Agnes Scott, helping it remain a great institution for Scotties of today and tomorrow. Supporting Future Scotties — Joel F. “Jack” Reeves and Jean Salter Reeves ’59

In many ways, the college experience that Jean Salter Reeves ’59 had at Agnes Scott College formed the core of her values, friendships and her lifelong interest in learning, says her husband Jack Reeves, a former real estate banker and U.S. Army veteran. “As a Photo courtesy of Joel F.“Jack” Reeves couple, we find contributing to causes that have significant importance in our lives especially rewarding. To Jean, Agnes Scott was always a top contender!” he explains. A Phi Beta Kappa history and political science major, Jean went on to be a lower-school and kindergarten teacher and has remained active as an alumna of Agnes Scott. She participated in the Atlanta Alumnae Club, was the president of the Alumnae Association from 1982 to 1984 and was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1982 to 1986. “Through the years, we have attended numerous lectures and events on campus together, and Jean continues to actively participate in alumnae offerings,” Jack says. Jean’s commitment to her college and her continuing interest in education were apparent to Jack, which is why he chose to establish the Jean Salter Reeves ’59 Scholarship in honor of his wife. The scholarship is meant to benefit another young student who, like Jean, works hard in her studies. The couple, who live in Atlanta, were introduced by one of Jean’s Agnes Scott classmates and married in 1969. “I used to laugh and say that when I answered the phone and heard a woman use her three names to ask for ‘Jean Salter Reeves,’ I knew the person calling had a black ring! Naming a scholarship in her honor has brought me enormous satisfaction, and I believe with this gift, I also brought a unique joy to Jean.”

An Anniversary Gift to Remember — Jim M. Jarboe and Mary K. Owen Jarboe ’68

Mary K. Owen Jarboe ’68 is not your typical alumna. She retired as registrar emerita from Agnes Scott College in 2002 after 28 years of loyal service in admissions initially and the last 20 years as registrar. “Agnes Scott College

means pretty much everything to Mary K. and to me. She saw the movie ‘A Man Called Peter’ when she was 8 years old and went home and proclaimed to her mother that she would attend college at Agnes Scott. Eight years old!” says her husband, Jim M. Jarboe, a self-employed Realtor. Elaborating on his wife’s connection to the college, Jim says, “Mary K. has heeded the call on several occasions since her retirement and returned to handle some special tasks for the college, and she currently serves as president of her class, the class of 1968.” The couple lives in Decatur and was introduced at the wedding of one of Mary K.’s Agnes Scott roommates to Jim’s next-door neighbor. They dated just a month before he proposed, and they were married in 1969. Additionally, the Jarboes’ daughter, Megan Jarboe, is an alumna from the class of 2002. So when Jim was trying to think of something special for Mary K. to commemorate their 50th anniversary, he thought of Agnes Scott, which had already been part of their Photo courtesy of Jim M. Jarboe annual giving plan for many years. It was about the time the capital campaign for Rebekah Scott Hall kicked off — a perfect fit. “She lived in Rebekah her junior and senior years, so what better way than to surprise her with a room named in her honor?” Jim says. He adds, “Mary K. and I each believe strongly in the value of a liberal arts education and the critical thinking skills it provides. We like to think that [our donations], at least in a small way, are helping deserving students who might not otherwise be able to experience all that Agnes Scott has to offer.”

Valuing History and Tradition — Jack H. “Ted” Tedards and Rosalind Todd Tedards ’67 Jack H. “Ted” Tedards met his wife, Rosalind Todd Tedards ’67, in Greenville, South Carolina, where they both grew up and lived most of their lives. “We were in high school together, but we did not know each other well with 360 people in our class. We had a couple of classes together and would say hi,” Ted recalls. The two got to know one another the summer after they graduated and

bonded over being big Dodgers baseball fans. They began dating in college, with Rosalind attending Agnes Scott College studying political science and Ted studying math at Georgia Tech, and the two were married in 1969. Rosalind passed away just last year. Wanting to pursue a donation to Agnes Scott, something the couple had previously spoken about, Ted contacted the school. “Agnes Scott was just so special and important to Rosalind. She was very proud of getting her degree Photo courtesy of Jack H. “Ted” from there because it was a Tedards tough school, and she had worked hard. She also made seven lifelong friends there — they met freshman year early on and remained friends all of their lives,” Ted says. He adds, “The school means a lot to me since we dated while we were both attending college in Atlanta. Her friends are my friends too.” Ted chose to donate in Rosalind’s honor to the Campaign for Main Hall because “Rosalind valued history and tradition very much, and she wanted Main Hall to remain the face of the college and to be maintained so that it connects the present students with the past.” Several years ago, out of the blue, Rosalind mentioned to Ted that the only thing he had to remember about her future funeral service is that she wanted the Agnes Scott hymn, “God of the Marching Centuries,” played. “Because of the pandemic, we didn’t get to have a traditional service, but the minister officiating it learned the song and sang it at the outside burial,” Ted says.

Paying It Forward — Nolan “Kenneth” Snead and Sharon Eunice Hall Snead ’70 Kenneth Snead decided to create the Sharon Eunice Hall Snead Scholarship Fund in 2017 in memory of his wife, Sharon Eunice Hall Snead ’70, because of Agnes Scott College’s great influence on her personal and professional lives. Sharon, who majored in Photo courtesy of Nolan “Kenneth” chemistry and minored in art at Snead the college, was a chemist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Environmental Protection Division until her death in 1990. “The school provided Sharon with the chemistry education that gave her the opportunity to work in a field of environmental protection, which was of special importance to her. Additionally, the college was a great influence on Sharon personally, as it helped develop her love and appreciation of art of all kinds. Hence, it is of great importance to me to give something back from Sharon to Agnes Scott,” he says. Kenneth, who attended Georgia Tech before working as a structural engineer, met Sharon on Agnes Scott’s

campus upon arrival for a blind date with another Scottie. “Sharon was on ‘hostess’ duty at the time, and we talked for a few minutes while I waited on my date. We subsequently had several other chance meetings before we began dating on a regular basis. The college played a direct role in our getting together and eventual marriage,” he says. The couple was married in 1969 and lived in Decatur for a short time before moving to Marietta. “I wished to give something everlasting to other young women who would receive the same experience provided to Sharon. Were she alive today, I am certain she would support the fund wholeheartedly,” Kenneth says.

A Loving Memorial in Main — Conrad M. Hall and Margaret “Peggy” Moore Hall ’68 If Conrad M. Hall and Margaret “Peggy” Moore Hall ’68 had had daughters, they would likely have sent them to Agnes Scott College, as Peggy had followed in her alumna mother’s footsteps. “There was a family connection. Peggy was very fond of Agnes Scott and enjoyed her time there as a student very much. She made lifelong friends and treasured the experience,” Conrad says. The couple met growing up in Norfolk, Virginia, and reconnected through mutual friends later on. Peggy, who Photo courtesy of Conrad M. Hall studied philosophy at Agnes Scott, went on to work for a gas distribution company prior to getting married to Conrad on April 15, 1972. “She always said it was a terrible decision [to get married on that date] because I was always so grumpy over doing our taxes,” quips Conrad, who was in the media business and had a business based in Atlanta that started The Weather Channel. After Peggy died in November 2019, Conrad wanted to honor her affection for her Agnes Scott experience by making a gift to the Campaign for Main. The gift will restore a space that was special to Peggy. She had lived with a roommate and close friend in one of the tower rooms of Agnes Scott “Main” Hall. Soon, that very room, along with the second-floor hallway, will bear her name. “Peggy never wanted her name publicly displayed. We both don’t like a lot of attention, but I thought that we would go forward in a way to memorialize her enrollment. I think she would be pleased, upon reflection,” Conrad says.

To make a gift in honor or memory of an Agnes Scott graduate, contact Henry W. Taylor, senior director of development, at htaylor@agnesscott.edu. Opportunities are still available to name a room or area in Agnes Scott “Main” Hall, the college’s most historic building. View naming opportunities and floor plans on the Campaign for Main website at agnesscott.edu/ givetomain.

giving highlights The Brown Family and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School Establish New Program for Agnes Scott Alumnae In April, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School announced a $5 million endowment from Rosemary and John Brown to establish the Rosemary and John Brown Family Scholars Program. Designed to afford opportunity and to increase enrollment of women across Goizueta’s graduate programs, the Brown Family Scholars Program will provide scholarships to Agnes Scott and Spelman College alumnae enrolled in Goizueta’s graduate programs. With women earning 57% of all undergraduate degrees but just 38% of Master of Business Administration degrees (Center for American Progress) and holding only 7.4% of top leadership roles at Fortune 500 companies (Fortune 500 research), the goal of this program is to increase representation of women in business. “I am thrilled about the opportunities that the Brown Family Scholars Program affords to our alumnae,” President Leocadia I. Zak says. “This gift reinforces our deep commitment to ensuring the professional success of all Agnes Scott students. I am grateful for the Browns’ generosity and commitment to women’s education.” The Brown Family Scholars Program aligns with Agnes Scott’s Professional Success Initiative, recently affirmed by the Board of Trustees as part of Pathway to Success, the college’s strategic plan. This initiative provides students with the 44

resources and opportunities needed for success in their professional, civic and personal lives and will be bolstered by the college’s upcoming Center for Student Discovery and Professional Success. The Brown Family Scholars Program also furthers Agnes Scott’s commitment to collaborate with leading business schools in metro Atlanta to develop the interests of our undergraduates. Agnes Scott’s Women’s Bridge to Business

partnership with Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business is currently in its 10th year. “I am both honored and greatly appreciative of the Brown family’s philanthropic investment in Agnes Scott alumnae, and I look forward to seeing our Brown Family Scholars take the business world by storm,” says President Zak. The Brown Family Scholars Program will begin to award scholarships this fall.

From left to right: Daughter Janine Brown; Rosemary Brown; John Brown; and daughter Sarah Beth Brown.This photo of the Brown family was taken prior to 2020 and is courtesy of Emory University.

at Agnes Scott’s Alumnae House NOW OPEN

with new COVID-19 protocols and safety measures Located on the east side of Agnes Scott College’s beautiful campus, the Anna I. Young Alumnae House offers contemporary guest rooms and attractive event spaces for rental to alumnae, friends and the greater community. The Alumnae House’s five cozy, modern rooms sleep 10 guests comfortably. Guests can walk to the thriving Decatur Square to enjoy award-winning restaurants and shops or catch MARTA, metro Atlanta’s public transportation system, to visit the many popular attractions in the greater Atlanta area. To view photos and pricing or request a reservation, visit the Alumnae House website.

agnesscott.edu/alumnae/alumnaehouse

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Agnes Engage

Agnes Scott College’s Agnes Engage programs offer summer youth camps for middle and high school students as well as continuing education courses for adults pursuing varied interests and programs that meet their unique needs. From precollege to postgraduate opportunities for academic enrichment and intellectual exploration, Agnes Engage has much to offer. agnesscott.edu/agnesengage