Hillary Clinton ’69 pens letter to her first-year self in TeenVogue Magazine
On Wednesday, Nov. 8, TeenVogue Magazine website published a letter written by Hillary Clinton ’69 to her teenage self as a tribute to young women activists across the country. In the letter, Clinton imparts advice to her 18-year-old self, who she timestamps as having just completed her first semester at Wellesley. She encourages her younger self to take risks and persevere despite feelings of insecurity and uncertainty. Clinton concludes by offering motivation in the face of personal and academic and challenges: “You’re at a college that was founded on the belief that women can do anything. And while I know sometimes it seems like we have an awfully long way to go, progress will come. It won’t happen as quickly as you hope, but in your lifetime, you will see the world change for women in ways you wouldn’t believe.” The letter will be printed in full in the December issue of TeenVogue, which will hit newsstands on Dec. 5. The letter is one piece of a larger collaboration between Clinton and TeenVogue; Clinton serves as a guest editor of the December issue and is featured on the cover alongside a quote from her 1969 Wellesley commencement address.
President Johnson projects Tax Reform Bill’s potential impact on College finances
Last Friday, Nov. 10, President Johnson penned a message to the Wellesley community to speak out against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. In her message, President Johnson outlines several ways the tax plan will undercut the College’s ability to ensure quality education for every student regardless of financial background. Taxes on endowments will likely result in the unavailability of tens of millions of dollars over the next decade, President Johnson estimates. Proposed elimination of the tax-free employer tuition reimbursement and various tuition credits will also curb student financial aid options, making it difficult for the College to keep tuition costs down and maintain a socioeconomically diverse student body. President Johnson encourages members of the Wellesley community to carefully consider the tax plan’s implications and voice their opinions to their elected representatives. “We will do everything we can to sustain our commitment to our mission, and to ensure that some of the nation’s brightest young women—irrespective of their families’ financial resources—have the opportunity to fulfill their potential and make their difference in the world, as Wellesley women have done with excellence for almost 150 years,” said President Johnson.
Wellesley awarded $1 million grant for STEM juniors and seniors
On Nov. 14, Wellesley announced that it had received a Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program grant. Totaling $1.133 million, the grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, and makes Wellesley the only women’s college to offer McNair fellowships. The grant will span for five years and benefit 28 juniors or seniors studying STEM at Wellesley. According to the statement made by the College, “The McNair grant will fund tools and experiences to help the scholars pursue graduate studies and, importantly, prepare them to complete doctoral work.” The grant compounds financial support with faculty mentorship, along with assistance with the graduate school application and interview process. Scholars will be drawn from the Sophomore Early Research Program, Summer Science Research Program, Wintersession Biochemistry Research Week and Science Apprenticeship Program. The McNair fellowship will also draw from the Posse fellows, another scholarship foundation that Wellesley has recently partnered with. The program is named after Dr. Ronald Ervin McNair, astronaut, physicist, researcher and NASA mission specialist who was aboard the Challenger space shuttle that exploded on Jan. 28, 1986.
