October 2021 Newsletter
MHC DC October Newsletter
Happy Halloween from Mary Lyon's Grave
Hope You All Had a Happy Mountain Day!
Mountain Day came early this year! On September 30, Alums from around the DMV met to eat ice cream and celebrate MHC! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate.
PROGRAM UPDATES
Seven Sisters Trivia Wrap-Up
On September 2, the MHC DC club was joined by alums from Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley in a friendly game of trivia. The participants all had a blast and got to know folks from across the clubs.
Rohita Kadambi Comedy Show
The MHC DC Club invites you to attend a fellow alums Comedy Show. Rohita Kadambi typically does comedy in Los Angeles and was one of the comedians on the 7 Sisters Zoom comedy show. She will be in DC on the below dates at the below venues. Anyone looking for a laugh should go!
YOUNG ALUMNI CORNER
Young Alumnae Event
Come join Kat Hyatt in Mount Vernon Triangle for drinks, snacks and an opportunity to get to know other alums and current MHC students in the D.C. area. To let us know you’re coming, please register. Prost!
Date: Friday, October 15
Location: Prost DC
Time: 7:45 PM
Let us know you are coming: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mhc-young-alum-meet-up-prost-dc-tickets-173114679667
NEWS FROM THE COLLEGE
MHC Vespers Online
Join in for the second worldwide virtual Vespers concert, hosted by the Mount Holyoke Club of Boston.
Together with President Sonya Stephens, current student musicians and the Department of Music, the Mount Holyoke Club of Boston welcomes the Mt. Holyoke community of alums, students, parents, faculty and staff to join virtually, from their homes around the world, for one of Mount Holyoke College’s most treasured traditions.
The event be held at 8:00PM EST on Friday, December 3, 2021. »Register today.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Get to Know your President & VP
This month we get to know a bit more about our uncommon MHC DC Club Board chairs, President Ann Croft '95 and Vice-President Carla Lambert '88.
What do you each do as a professional?
Ann: My professional life is a bit of a hodgepodge. I have been working as an Operations Manager for a small software development company since my daughter started school 5 years ago. Most recently I have gone part time at that job and am going back to my calling in a part-time position as a school counselor in a Catholic school in Falls Church, VA.
Carla: I am a Family Medicine physician with a solo practice (yes, a dying breed:-)) in Beltsville, MD. Being a "country doctor in the city" has been a lifelong passion of mine and I especially love taking care of multi-generational families. I treat all ages and my oldest patient is an impressive 102 years old!
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Ann: Free time? After all of the part-time jobs are done I like to curl up with a good novel. I don’t do that too often anymore, mainly because of the vast number of movie-watching apps that now exist on my Apple TV.
Carla: As a small business owner, there's not a lot of free time, but the COVID pandemic did help me to slow down and smell the roses. My favorite free time guilty pleasures are hiking in nature and reading; sometimes I even do both! Nothing like reading a good book beside a babbling brook in the woods. A few years ago, I made a commitment to myself to add more FUN to my life, so I'm constantly working on that as well – see my picture :-).
Tell us about a favorite book of yours.
Ann: I like so many books. Most recently I read A Man Called Ove and really enjoyed it. My favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre. I also like a good mystery. I read Big Little Lies a few years ago and couldn’t put it down!!
Carla: OK, I'm going to cheat and tell you about two: I've never been much of a Science Fiction/Fantasy reader, but one of the best books I've read in the past few years is Kindred by Octavia Butler. It involves time travel and notions of race and family struggle/conflict; what a phenomenal book! Where has this author been my whole life? I am currently reading Book 3 (A Court of Wings and Ruin) of the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah Maas. Another fantasy series that I can't seem to put down. Lots of characters and plot twists that keep me up way past my bedtime. Another must read!
Where did you most ever enjoy spending a vacation, and why?
Ann: It’s so hard to think about travel right now. There are so many places to which I would like to travel. I think lately I have most enjoyed Disney Land with my daughter. What could be better than the happiest place on earth?
Carla: My favorite vacation was a family trip to Germany and Austria several years ago. We were accompanied by some native German speakers who had intimate knowledge of the history and customs of the region. A major highlight of the trip was The Sound of Music bus tour. As this has been one of my favorite movies since childhood, what a thrill to see and visit the actual locations shown in the movie and with all the goofiness of a true movie nerd, re-enact the scenes of singing and dancing through the streets of Salzburg.
What do you like to do in the DC area?
Ann: One of my favorite things to do in the DC area is to go to the National Zoo! I love the river otters and the ring-tailed lemurs the best. Twenty years ago I would bring my niece in the summers. For the last 10 years I enjoy bringing my daughter who loves the big cats and the prairie dogs.
Carla: One of my favorite things to do in DC is to visit the tidal basin cherry blossoms during the Cherry Blossom Festival every spring. It is truly one of my "peaceful places" and something I do every year.
What else are you involved with, aside from the MHC DC Club Board?
Ann: When I’m not juggling all my jobs or binge-watching the latest Hulu show, I pitch in at my daughter’s school working on the auction and as the fundraising chair for the PTO. I am also the co-leader of my daughters Junior Girl Scout troop.
Carla: It just occurred to me that I am not involved in anything else. This was really eye-opening for me as I usually have a tendency to overcommit myself. Right now, I am just enjoying having a little free time for the first time in my adult life and practicing what I preach about self-care.