President's Fall Newsletter

October 1, 2021

Dear Alumnae and Alumni, Families and Friends,

We’re back! What a joy it’s been to welcome students and faculty back to Trinity’s campus this fall after the long pandemic isolation period. We are off to a wonderful start for the Fall 2021 semester, staying very safe with masks and vaccines while eager to resume what we do best – teaching and learning in an environment that supports and encourages the growth and development of every student to fulfill her greatest potential.

I am happy to share some very important announcements in this newsletter, so please be sure to read on to learn more about:

• New Schedule for Alumnae Reunions
• Plans for Trinity’s 125th Anniversary
• Launch of Trinity’s New Early College Academy
• Profile of New Students

View a PDF version of the Trinity President’s Newsletter Fall 2021

New Schedule for Trinity Alumnae Reunions

Starting in 2022, we will celebrate the general alumnae reunions every October. Reunion in 2022 will take place on Saturday, October 29, following a week of 125th Anniversary celebration events that we hope alumnae and alumni will also enjoy on campus.

Going forward, all alumnae and alumni of all class years are welcome to attend Trinity Reunion every year, a change from the traditional every-five-years reunions. The main event will be a grand luncheon for all alumnae and alumni. Various activities and programs will take place in the morning preceding the luncheon, and the annual Alumnae Liturgy will occur in late afternoon followed by a reception on the lawn.

50th Reunion classes may choose to celebrate their golden jubilee as part of the general alumnae reunion in October, or they may choose another time of year for their festivities. Our Alumnae Relations staff is working with the upcoming 50th Reunion classes to establish dates and programs for those events. Many other classes before and after the 50th reunion year also get together at other times in other locales, and we encourage classes to keep doing mini-reunions.

We decided to move the general Trinity Reunion from June to October, and to include all alumnae and alumni every year, for these reasons:

• Classes are in session, students and faculty are on campus in October, and we think it’s important for Trinity graduates to connect to students and faculty today.
• Weather in October is generally beautiful – and cooler than June!
• While every weekend all year has scheduling conflicts, the June reunion weekends often collided with spouse reunions, graduations and weddings. We know October collides with football (!) but we hope that alumnae and alumni might enjoy cheering for the Trinity Tigers soccer team during an October Reunion Weekend!

Alumnae and alumni can still gather in class groupings at any time as you wish, but we have observed that the every-five-years schedule means that you don’t get to see friends from other adjacent classes. Additionally, many of our more recent graduates, especially in our professional schools, are more likely to gather in their respective affinity groups, e.g., nurses, teachers, MBA graduates, and others. A general annual Trinity Reunion gives everyone an opportunity to enjoy classmates, friends and colleagues across many different groups.

CELEBRATING RENAISSANCE: TRINITY’S 125TH ANNIVERSARY!

Trinity will be 125 years old in 2022! Trinity’s founders made history on August 20, 1897, when they secured the articles of incorporation that created Trinity College. Across the next three years, they bought the land, raised money, recruited students and started building Main Hall. On November 3, 1900, the first students arrived on campus and classes began on November 6. The first class was the great Red Class of 1904. So much history to celebrate!

“Celebrating Renaissance” is the theme of Trinity’s 125th Anniversary. To mark this historic moment, we have planned a robust series of academic, cultural and social events starting in Fall 2021 and extending through the 125th anniversary of the opening of the college in 2025. We hope all alumnae and alumni, families and friends can join us for all or some of these programs!

We will publish a full schedule of the 125th Anniversary events later this fall, but below are the most important highlights:

Anniversary Preview Events: Fall 2021 and Ongoing…

One of our primary goals for the 125th Anniversary era is to engage our graduates more directly with Trinity students and faculty. We have “preview” events starting this fall, including:

Presidential Speaker Series: Trinity Graduates in Service to Communities and Nation: We are inviting our graduates across many different professions to speak to our students and faculty in a regular monthly program. We’ll do this on Zoom for most of the next year. If you would like to be among the speakers, please let me know.

Women’s Education 1897 to 2021: A Student-Alumnae Colloquium: This program will feature students and alumnae giving papers and leading discussions about how women’s education has evolved through the years, why women’s colleges are still important and how we serve the educational needs of women globally today.

Trinity History Project: As part of our initiative, Trinity DARE: Driving Actions for Racial Equity, we are undertaking an examination of Trinity’s history with the particular lens of racial justice and social equity. The project will include a series of oral history interviews with Trinity graduates for Trinity’s archives.

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Service to the World: This ongoing program through Trinity’s Billiart Center will highlight the work of the SNDs in global ministries. We hope to have virtual visits and dialogue with SNDs in Africa, Brazil, Japan and other locations.

We hope alumnae and alumni will join us for these events – keep an eye on your email and the Trinity website for more information!

October 24 – October 29, 2022: Trinity’s 125th Anniversary Celebration and Reunion!

We will have a number of events in the week of October 24 through 29, 2022, to mark Trinity’s 125th Anniversary era:

• Alumnae College and Renaissance Symposium: Alumnae and alumni are welcome to attend classes throughout the week, culminating in an academic symposium focusing on the ways in which Trinity and our graduates exemplify Trinity’s commitment to social justice.
• 125th Anniversary Convocation: We will have a formal academic ceremony recognizing the achievements of our graduates, faculty and students.
• Trinity Reunion: October 29, 2022: As explained earlier in this newsletter, the Trinity Reunion will be for all alumnae and alumni, with a grand luncheon, late afternoon Liturgy and reception on the front lawn.

Continuing the Celebration: 2022 – 2025

After these big events in 2022, we will continue to celebrate:

• We’ll take Trinity “on the road” to locations nationwide to continue highlighting alumnae and alumni in service to communities, as well as the success of students and faculty.
• In 2024, we will also observe the 100th Anniversary of the dedication of Notre Dame Chapel.
• In November 2025 we will celebrate the opening and dedication of Trinity in 1900 with a concluding series of events.

Reimagining Alumnae Hall

Reimagining Alumnae Hall is the signature building project of our 125th Anniversary Campaign. We aim to raise a minimum of $25 million to renovate this beautiful, historic building to become a modern campus center that our students, faculty, staff, alumnae and alumni and visitors can enjoy. We have retained a team of architects and contractors to refine the concept design – construction costs today are very steep, and we know this project will be at least $35 million. We will share a more detailed prospectus on the Alumnae Hall project, prospective naming opportunities and a description of all the major campaign priorities associated with the 125th Anniversary Campaign in the coming months.

Welcome New Students!

First year students gather in Seymour Court.

Trinity is enrolling 1,900 students this fall. We have welcomed more than 500 new students to Trinity for the Fall 2021 semester, including more than 250 in the College of Arts and Sciences, our historic women’s college. CAS new students present an interesting profile, including these characteristics:

• 33% of our new students were born internationally in more than 20 different nations.
• 54% of the class hail from the District of Columbia.
• 32% are Maryland residents, with the balance of the class coming from 18 other states.
• 53% of the class identify as Black or African American; 42% of the class identify as Hispanic.
• 35% of the class indicate nursing as their intended major, with the next largest intended majors including business, psychology, criminal justice and the STEM disciplines.

Welcome Early College Academy and Coolidge Partners!

We are thrilled to welcome 41 exceptional young women and men to Trinity’s campus this fall for the new Early College Academy (ECA) that we have launched in cooperation with the D.C. Public Schools and Coolidge Senior High School. These students were chosen competitively to participate in the ECA program and they have completed their first two years at Coolidge, during which Trinity provided some support including dual enrollment courses in the summer. Now, those students have matriculated at Trinity in our associate degree program, and they will spend two years here earning their A.A. degrees while also completing their high school diplomas.

Dean Sita Ramamurti organized and leads the ECA program for Trinity, along with program director Hope Witherspoon.

Welcome New Deans!

We are pleased to welcome two new deans on our academic team this fall. They both bring a wealth of professional experience to Trinity and a deep commitment to our mission, and are eager to enhance and expand our undergraduate and graduate programs.

Dr. Brigid Noonan is our new Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, succeeding Dean Mary Romanello who returned to her primary field of physical therapy. Dean Noonan previously served as dean in a similar school at Nazareth College of Rochester. Dr. Noonan is a native of the Washington region, earning her degrees at the University of Maryland; her Ph.D. is in counselor education and supervision from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Dr. Tracy Kachur is our new Dean of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies, succeeding Dean Peggy Lewis ’77 who retired last year. Dean Kachur comes to Trinity from North Carolina State University where she was responsible for adult and continuing education programs. She earned her undergraduate degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate in education research and policy from North Carolina State University.

Annual Fund Support Keeps Trinity Thriving!

When you receive the Trinity Annual Fund appeal this year, please think of all the great women and men down through the years who made it possible for Trinity to grow and thrive – the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur who sacrificed so much to make sure that Trinity could persist, the faculty and staff whose hard work makes the mission real for each generation, and the students and graduates who live our mission with so much zeal and devotion each day. Think of all of them, and think about how your contribution can help this remarkable mission continue to thrive. THANK YOU for your generosity!

We are most pleased to welcome Ashley Bianchi as Director of Annual and Reunion Giving at Trinity. Ashley’s background includes decades of success in annual fundraising and philanthropy at Georgetown Day School. Ashley will be overseeing the entire Trinity Annual Fund and Trinity Reunion giving program, so many of you will be hearing from her soon!

Stay Connected to Trinity!

Whether we connect on Zoom, chat on the phone or e-mail, or, soon, see each other in person, I am always eager to hear from you, our wonderful Trinity alumnae and alumni, family and friends! Thank you for all of your support and your continued commitment to Trinity!

President Patricia McGuire ’74

Trinity’s Peer Advisors rejoice as they return to campus and welcome first year students!