Letter from Alumni Board President to New Alumni

Dear graduates of 2021,

As the President of the Whitman Alumni Association Board, I want to congratulate you on becoming the college’s newest alumni and the newest members of our association. It’s a large and unique community of over 18,000 living alumni spread all over the world. You’ve already lived through an historically strange year and emerged with your values and versatility intact. Now you join a group that recognizes your hard work and holds you responsible for acting in ways your fellow alums, mentors and society at large expects of you. Previous alums have blazed the trail for you and stand ready to assist you in all your endeavors.

Whitman builds community leaders. All the communities you will become part of—at work, during further training, your residential town or city, our shared society – expect you to bring the skills and standards you’ve acquired during your time in college. You’ve already mastered fields of learning; participated in extracurricular activities and learned tolerance and compassion among friends you’ve made in the Whitman community. You’ll make mistakes and face bewildering challenges, but your store of support just grew much larger—if you’re willing to make use of the experience of other alumni. The Alumni Relations office offers opportunities for virtual and personal connections with your classmates and other alumni. Whitman Connect, the online alumni directory, provides a wealth of resources. The world is yours to enter and the Alumni Association is here to help.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, all we ask of you is that you help your successors to benefit from your experiences as you have benefitted from those who preceded you. Whitman alumni respect the common threads that all of us have followed and have faith that our paths are more similar than we might have thought. Those common experiences, values and aspirations hold us together and create a spirit of generosity. I’ve lived all across the country and never lost contact with Whitman or the friends and community it represents. The benefits still accrue to me, even in retirement, and I expect they’ll never stop.

We are here to help you stay connected through programs and events we sponsor and organize, including:

• Career networking –Whitties Helping Whitties
• Social events
• Faculty and staff presentations
• Sporting events
• Outdoor recreational opportunities
• Reunions

Be sure to register on Whitman Connect. The directory makes it easy to connect with Whitties eager to mentor and advise you, so please take advantage of this tool. If you have suggestions for alumni events in your area or ways to improve communication, please let me know at dkmcnair@gmail.com, contact Alumni Relations at alumni@whitman.edu or 509-527-5167, or send your ideas to any member of the Alumni Board.

In closing, let me again congratulate you on your accomplishments and welcome you to the Alumni Association. We exist to help and learn from each other. Please believe the education you received at Whitman will be your key to success in all of your communities. You’ve been prepared to meet new challenges with flexibility and confidence; but some assistance from those who went before will undoubtedly smooth the path for your particular journey. Please keep in touch. Others will need your leadership as well.

Sincerely,

Dennis M. McNair ’67, President

Whitman Alumni Association Board