50th Reunion Inspires Gift for Student Scholarships

Since graduating from Sarah Lawrence, Reunion Committee member Naomi Stearns '58 has kept in touch with a number of her fellow alums, and delights in seeing them again at her 50^th reunion.

"Reconnecting with classmates is a happy reminder of all the things I loved about being a student at Sarah Lawrence," she says. "It's so easy to pick up right where we left off."

Stearns chose to mark this special celebration with a gift to the FSL Scholars Program. This new Fund for Sarah Lawrence initiative offers a personal and direct way to support current students. "Sarah Lawrence offers such a unique educational experience," Stearns says. "As alums, we really need to do what we can to make sure that tradition continues and is accessible to deserving students."

With a minimum gift of $5,000, a donor to the FSL Scholars Program is connected with a student receiving financial aid and is provided a "snapshot" profile of that student. Donors also have the opportunity to meet FSL scholarship students at a special reception on campus.

Although this is Stearns' first involvement with the scholars program, she has been a longtime supporter of the College, specifically through the Fund for Sarah Lawrence. Her motivation for giving can be traced back to her first year on campus, when she discovered the wealth of academic and cultural opportunities available to students. "Coming from a small town, I was enthralled with Sarah Lawrence. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven."

"Reconnecting with classmates is a happy reminder of all the things I loved about being a student at Sarah Lawrence."

While at the College, Stearns was very active in the music program. In addition to studying piano and flute, she also sang in the chorus, which was led at the time by faculty member Harold Aks. When Stearns returned to campus in 2006 for the first time in more than 20 years, she made sure to visit with current music students—whom she describes as having "great musical talent and incredible energy." She says she was particularly impressed by the innovative students and faculty creating experimental and electronic music. "What's going on there now is amazing!"