Alumnae/i Community

Dear Members of the SLC Community,

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Cheryl Cipro has accepted the position of Director of Alumnae/i Relations, effective April 1, 2008. Many of you know Cheryl through her outstanding work over the last seven years as Director of the Annual Fund. Her personal touch and many accomplishments in leadership, young alumnae/i, and reunion giving have provided our faculty and students with more than $20 million in unrestricted funds, and helped pave the way for the next group of major donors to Sarah Lawrence. Throughout her tenure at SLC, she has partnered with faculty and numerous alumnae/i volunteers on various projects, experience that will serve her well in sustaining current programming and expanding our offerings locally and nationally. We are truly fortunate to have her knowledge of Sarah Lawrence lore, technological skills, long institutional memory, and strong commitment to the Sarah Lawrence mission to lead outreach efforts to our alumnae/i.

With the Fund ahead of last year by more than 9 percent, we know that it is well on its way to meeting a record goal of $3.1 million. Director of Development Nancy D'Ambrosio will continue to oversee the Fund, and will begin a search for Cheryl's replacement in the coming weeks. Please join me in congratulating Cheryl on this new chapter in her career at Sarah Lawrence.

I also wish to express sincerest thanks to Courtney de Kanter for her expert stewardship of the Alumnae/i Relations operation since Sally Davis' retirement last June. Fortunately for Sarah Lawrence, Courtney will continue to serve the College as Associate Director of Alumnae/i Relations.

Regards,

Karen Lawrence, President

Get to Know Cheryl Cipro

She served as the director of annual giving for seven years, knows Latin and Greek, and is ready to do some serious relating with all the SLC alumnae/i. Here, she talks about mah-jongg, celebrity alumnae/i, and The Iliad—and, of course, what’s ahead for the Alumnae/i Relations Office.

In the beginning, there was Latin

I started out as a teacher, teaching Greek, Latin, and history at a high school after receiving a master’s in ancient Greek language and literature. I retain more Latin than Greek, because I learned it younger—started in 7th grade, and took it all four years in high school. I took a nationwide Latin test in high school and only got one answer wrong.

Several years ago literature faculty member Bill Shullenberger was teaching The Iliad, and he invited me to a class to read some passages aloud in the original Greek, so that they could hear phrases like “the wine-dark sea” as they were written. It was cool.

A fateful nun

I was teaching at an independent school with a religious affiliation, and a nun was going to take over my classes, so I applied for another job at a school where my husband was teaching. I interviewed for one job and ended up with a development position, and have been working in development and alumni affairs ever since.

What’s so great about SLC alumnae/i

I never met an alum I didn’t like. I enjoy talking to them about their journeys since SLC. Sarah Lawrence alumnae/i, even when they’re in a “normal” profession, are always doing something a little bit different with it. People from other colleges tend to be in the same career their whole lives, or to make one big change and that’s it. But SLC alumnae/i are risk takers. They tend to switch careers multiple times, and are open to change.

What she does when she’s not relating to alumnae/i

Tennis! Plus reading, knitting, cooking… I have three sons, and all three can cook well, by the way. Also, I started playing mah-jongg with a group of women from my book group last fall. It’s relaxing, but you have to use your brain, and of course, have a little luck!

And in her spare time…

Also, I sing. My husband is a psychologist and a composer. He’s currently writing an opera. He’s the music director of our church, and I sing soprano in the choir. I like singing the songs my husband writes, and I love Gregorian chants and opera.

I’m also the president of the church council.

Winging it in the kitchen

I love to cook. Especially Italian food, but I’ll make almost anything. I might follow a recipe once or twice, but then I’ll make it my own, adapt it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

Favorite hors d’oeurve at an SLC event

I like everything. Shrimp? Sarah Lawrence events are known for their shrimp. Often at events I end up not eating anything because I’m too busy, or I’ll have something afterwards. But I like everything.

Celebrity she wishes were an alumna/us, so that they could chat at an event

It would be great if Eleanor Roosevelt were an alumna. She came to campus several times in the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. I’ve heard lots of stories about her from alumnae/i. But really, who needs celebrity alumnae/i? All our alumnae/i are engaging.

Sarah Lawrence goes local

In areas of the country where there are high concentrations of alumnae/i, I want to have events for them to get together. We have lots of alumnae/i in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Boston, and, obviously, the New York metro area. Hopefully whatever we develop will draw them closer to the life of the College.

We have a Writer’s Night event in Manhattan that would work well in other areas. Or if there’s an alum with a particular specialty or area of expertise—medicine, say—they could speak to a group of alumnae/i from their town, like a Faculty on the Road without the faculty. And without going on the road.

Expert advice

Also, it would be terrific if we could develop mentoring programs through our online community and have advisory groups of alumnae/i (with faculty members) in different areas of expertise.

Curing senioritis

We recently did an event on campus for seniors to sign up for One Mead Way, the online community. Some of the students were pretty freaked out that they’ll be graduating in two months. But they can use One Mead Way to keep in touch with each other. Plus, I reassured them that wherever they move, there will probably be someone from Sarah Lawrence there. We have alumnae/i all over the country.

What alumnae/i don’t know about alumnae/i relations

That our office is a resource for alumnae/i. We don’t just plan events, but can help alumnae/i with things that they’re doing—or at least direct them to the right people to talk to. Just call us.