Leaders in All Walks of Life: Alumni Challenge

Inspired by the beautiful stories told during the Leaders in All Walks of Life: Fifty Years of Women at Bowdoin virtual kickoff weekend in September, a group of alumnae leaders joined together to challenge the alumni body.

Alumni gifts made between Monday, October 18 and midnight on Sunday, October 24—of any size, to any designation—within the Alumni Fund or to the Polar Bear Athletic Fund unlocked $100 from the alumnae leaders.

The challenge dollars will establish the Leaders in All Walks of Life Fund, a commemorative fund that supports financial aid for women students, as part of Bowdoin’s extraordinary need-blind, no-loan, meet-full-need financial aid program for all eligible students.

Together, 1,436 alumni unlocked $143,600 for financial aid. “I am incredibly moved by the collective support of our alumnae challengers and alumni body last week,” said Director of Annual Giving Christi Lumiere. “There is so much power in what we can do together. Every gift made brings us one step closer to fulfilling our From Here campaign promises to financial aid, and our community's commitment to those promises is inspiring."

Now that the challenge is over, the Leaders in All Walks of Life Fund has officially been established. It will be available as a giving option alongside Bowdoin’s other Annual Funds (Alumni Fund, Polar Bear Athletic Fund, Parents Fund, and Friends Fund) through June 30, 2022.

Thank you to the following alumnae leaders for providing challenge funds for financial aid in support of this great moment in Bowdoin’s history:

Sydney Asbury ’03; Sasha Ballen ’96; Marijane Benner Browne ’83, P’18, P’21; Jeannie Brountas ’83; Kathleen Burke ’89; Shelley Cyr ’76, P’12; Dashelle Fabian ’11; Katherine Finnegan ’09; Laurie A. Hawkes ’77; Mary Hogan Preusse ’90, P’23; Isabella Jean ’01; Mishal Kazmi ’21; Ann Kenyon ’79; Molly Hoagland King ’80, P’10; Eileen Naples ’04; Sue Pardus ’86; Kristin Pollock ’04; Courtney L. M. Ravenscroft ’01; Herly Rosemond ’97; Jenna Scott ’19; Shoshana Sicks ’04; Laura Small ’08; Ruth Small ’77, P’08, P’11; Jessie Small Hicks ’11; Saddie Smith ’75; Dee Spagnuolo ’96; Rebecca Tanenbaum Lacey ’04; Karen Walker ’84, P’15; Paula Wardynski ’79; and Ruilin Yang ’20.