Race to Reunion

Reunion class of 1959 first to cross the finish line

Alumnae rose to the challenge during last fall’s Rally for Hollins campaign by nearly doubling the goal. Following that successful campaign, the offices of admission and alumnae relations called on alumnae to compete in this spring’s Race to Reunion. This time, alumnae referred 146 prospective students, nine of whom were referred by the winning reunion class of 1959. The winning nonreunion class of 1963 sent 16 referrals. Anyone in any class can refer a student at any time. Just go to hollins.edu/refer.

Margaret Wise Brown’s living legacy to Hollins

Hollins receives royalties from the sale of the following books by Margaret Wise Brown ’32. Every purchase helps support Hollins.

[threecol_one]All the Families Another Important Book Away in My Airplane Baby Animals Big Red Barn Bunny’s Noisy Book The Diggers The Fathers are Coming Home Fierce Yellow Pumpkin[/threecol_one] [threecol_one]The Fish with the Deep Sea Smile Give Yourself to the Rain Goodnight Bear Goodnight Bunny Goodnight Songs Home for a Bunny I Like Bugs I Like Stars The Little Island[/threecol_one] [threecol_one_last]The Margaret Wise Brown Treasury Moon Shines Down Nibble Nibble On Christmas Eve Sailor Boy Jig Sheep Don’t Count Sheep Sneakers Sunshine and Snowballs [/threecol_one_last]

Hollins Abroad-Paris adds hybrid track

Open to female and male undergraduates

A new track in the Hollins Abroad-Paris program enables students who have taken only one year of French to live in another country and explore a new culture. Both the full-immersion program and the new hybrid track accept applications from Hollins women and also from any domestic college student interested in applying—including female or male children of alumnae. Students enrolling in the new hybrid track will have access to upper-level courses taught in English in fields such as business, international studies, fashion, art history, and liberal arts, to name just a few. For more information, visit hollins.edu/abroad.

New: Hollins Ambassadors Circle

Recognizes gifts of time and talent

At the May meeting, the Board of Trustees approved a volunteer recognition society, the Hollins Ambassadors Circle, to honor the extraordinary and exemplary commitment of time and talent given by alumnae, parents, and friends to support the four ribs of the Alumnae Engagement Initiative umbrella: enrollment, career, alumnae to alumnae, and philanthropy.

Walking the walk: The Hollins network in action

How does a Hollins economics major end up working for a private art collector? Talent, some on-the-job experience, a bit of luck, and—just as important—the Hollins network.

When Xiomara “Xiomi” Murray ’98 went to work for a private art collector in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2009, she found before too long that she needed a database coordinator to keep accurate records on the collection. “Around this time I was invited by Professor Kathleen Nolan to participate in an informal panel speaking to graduating art history majors about the variety of jobs in the arts,” she says. That’s when Kim Lauer’s (’10) name came up. Lauer, a graduating senior at the time, had worked as a student assistant in the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum for four years. She and Laura Jane Ramsburg M.A.L.S. ’14, manager of museum operations, “created a database for the entire collection from which we could reference and track all items. We also worked on creating a file system for the collection and reviewed the organization and storage of the collection.” After what Murray describes as “a bit of an ambush interview,” she decided that Lauer was the person she was looking for. “I was immediately impressed by the way Kim handled herself under the pressure of an impromptu interview,” she says. “She explained her slightly unusual background for the position—an economics major—and how she greatly enjoyed art history and working at the Wilson Museum. I think it was when she declared her love of databases that I knew I had found the perfect person.” The job has proven to be an excellent fit for Lauer, too. “I use the skills that I learned at the museum daily in my current position,” she says. “The ladies in the museum made sure I had a well-rounded museum education. Janet Carty [’87, M.A.L.S. ’99, manager of exhibitions] taught me about museum installs and deinstalls, handling art, and hanging it. Laura Jane showed me the importance of a good database (which is still my motto today), as well as good record keeping.” Her training in economics enables her to “see how the financial market can affect the art market and the overall art world.” Even her accounting classes come into play: “My boss loves it when I make spreadsheets, and especially if I include graphs,” she says. Murray, who received a master’s degree in art history from New York University, credits her undergraduate education for setting her on the road to success. “The atmosphere of support and learning from fellow students that is so special at Hollins greatly influenced my time in graduate school,” she says. “In this spirit of collegiality I wanted to be able to offer a Hollins graduate the opportunity to work with an important private collection and further her own career in the art world.”