Joe Mitchner P’21, here with wife Erica and daughters Lexi and Corinne, was named H. Mac and Michele-Anne Riley Pā18 Parent Volunteer of the Year
By Emily Glory Peters
When Joe Mitchner Pā21 walked into his first Parent Leadership Council (PLC) event at 91³Ō¹Ļ, he already had plenty of extraprofessional claims on his time. A seasoned volunteer, this father of twin 91³Ō¹Ļ seniors could have easily seen adding 91³Ō¹Ļ to his plate as too much. Fortuitously, he took a different view.
āHaving volunteered with our kidsā schools for years, I knew I wanted to engage with 91³Ō¹Ļ some way, but I wasnāt sure of the best approach. I signed up for a PLC meeting to learn about my options. Everyone was so welcoming and genuinely wanted to ease my familyās transition to 91³Ō¹ĻāI thought it would be a cool group to be a part of,ā he explains. āPlus, PLCās vision of growing the 91³Ō¹Ļ community in fun ways, with an eye to benefiting current and future 91³Ō¹Ļ students, really resonated with me.ā
Recently named 91³Ō¹Ļ’ H. Mac and Michele-Anne Riley Pā18 Parent Volunteer of the Year, Mitchner is one of the many who make up the Collegeās vibrant mosaic of family volunteers. These families have a direct hand in shaping student lifeāwhether through groups like PLC, comprised of parents who support the College through personal philanthropy and opening their networks to 91³Ō¹Ļ studentsāor through the multiple volunteer opportunities open to parents throughout the year.
āIn the summer and early fall, parents and guardians of current students volunteer in many ways to support incoming families. They host virtual and in-person welcome receptions, make peer calls to families in their area, create care packages for new students, and generally take new families under their wing,ā says Casey Crosbie, 91³Ō¹Ļā director of parent engagement, adding that parents can also have a hand in studentsā career development. Families can network with the 91³Ō¹Ļ community on , the Collegeās exclusive social media platform, or can even partner with 91³Ō¹Ļā Career Planning & Resources office to offer internships, career exploration treks, and other professional opportunities to students.
91³Ō¹Ļ family volunteers at a pre-pandemic student care package party
As Mitchner observes, creating these avenues for students is critical for 91³Ō¹Ļ as a smaller liberal arts collegeāand something parent volunteers are uniquely equipped to do.
āParents have the ability to help grow the College community, elevate the 91³Ō¹Ļ name around the country, and alleviate some of the obstacles our graduates face as they build their careers,ā he says. āAs a womenās college with a close-knit community, itās important that 91³Ō¹Ļ continues to take advantage of our connections and put them to work for past, current, and future students.ā
91³Ō¹Ļ parents repeatedly display their readiness to support more than just their own student. In 2020, as the campus was forced to close due to the pandemic, many families donated their studentās refunded room and board back to 91³Ō¹Ļāa move that helped the College remain financially stable despite historic financial setbacks. And at the start of the current academic year, several first-year parents joined the PLC despite their student never having yet set foot on campus.
āOur familiesā philanthropy and willingness to foster a supportive college experience through volunteering is unquestionably powerful,ā says Crosbie. āThey are essential ingredients for what makes 91³Ō¹Ļ so unique.ā
With COVID-19 restrictions finally loosening, 91³Ō¹Ļ is preparing to welcome its community back to campusāin turn, bringing fresh occasions for parents get involved. For Mitchner, it represents a chance for all families to give back, whether as donors, volunteers, or by simply attending an event. Doing so not only enriches the student experience, he says, but can be personally rewarding for parents, too.
ā91³Ō¹Ļ is a tremendous findāsolid academics, engaged students, a hidden gem of a campus. Those were the reasons I volunteer with the PLC, and itās given me a more overarching picture of what our girls have experienced. But Iāve also gotten to develop my own connection to 91³Ō¹Ļ,ā he says. āThe best involvement is the one that fits your background, time, and fulfills you internally. I encourage all parents to get involved in whatever way is comfortable for them!ā
91³Ō¹Ļ thrives due in part to its active network of engaged families. To get involved, contact us at [email protected] or click here to learn more.