The Alumnae Achievement Award, “Wellesley’s highest honor,” is meant to reflect the best of what the College stands for. However, it’s important to consider: who decides what counts as achievement and whose values are reflected in that decision?
Every fall, Wellesley selects a few of its alumnae to celebrate as models of excellence, the people who embody what it means to carry this education into the world. But as the world shifts, the meaning of “excellence” does too. When professional successes coincide with complicated global issues, our institutions’ highest honors don’t seem to match our highest ideals.
The ceremony on Oct. 24 will spotlight three accomplished alumnae before an audience of students, faculty and other alumnae. The College’s highest accolade will be bestowed upon Sue Wagner ’82, Karen Grigsby Bates ’73 and Jocelyn Benson ’99. Wagner is an American financial executive and the co-founder of BlackRock. Bates is a correspondent for Day to Day, NPR’s mid-day news magazine. Benson is an American politician, attorney, and member of the Democratic Party who has served as the 43rd Secretary of State of Michigan since 2019.
Wagner co-founded BlackRock in 1988 at just 26. She demonstrates ambition, intelligence and a commanding presence in a male-dominated industry. It is the world’s largest asset manager, with immense influence across global economies. But the reputation of her company is far from simple. Though BlackRock is often praised for risk management and financial performance, it has been critiqued for its role in the fossil fuel economy, defense contracting and investments linked to human rights concerns. It is also continually accused of “greenwashing” by both the political right and environmental left, and for inconsistent action on ESG (environmental, social, governance) goals.
Wagner’s story forces us to consider what kind of achievement we elevate in a world where wealth and power are often tethered to harm. The choice to honor Wagner for this particular award conforms to conceptions of success that seem to have less resonance with current generations. These definitions include reinforcing corporate scale, financial influence and “breaking glass ceilings” within existing systems — rather than reimagining them. Amidst these values, , the College’s public commitments center around climate leadership, diversity, equity and global justice. This tension matters because Wellesley’s honors are both performative and symbolic. They communicate what the institution values to its students and to the world.
Students today are hyper-aware of global inequities, climate collapse and the ethics of corporate power. We’re the ones currently navigating Wellesley’s “mission” as lived experiences — in our classrooms, activism and community life. Yet, we have no real role in deciding who is celebrated. A reimagination of the selection or nomination process to further include student representation should be considered. At the very least, there should be an open dialogue about why honorees are chosen.
The end goal is not to cancel, but rather, to consider: how can institutions celebrate alumnae while also honestly engaging with the complexities of their industries? Honor can coexist with critique. Wellesley must evolve its definition of “achievement” in a way that reflects not only excellence, but also its ethics.
Wellesley’s greatness lies not in its perfection, but in its willingness to self-interrogate. If Wellesley truly believes in educating women who will make a difference in the world, then perhaps the next step is to let those people in the classrooms right now help decide what deserves to be celebrated.
Contact the editor(s) responsible for this story: Caitlin Donovan, Avery Finley
