Joe Mitchner P’21, here with wife Erica and daughters Lexi and Corinne, was named H. Mac and Michele-Anne Riley Pβ18 Parent Volunteer of the Year
By Emily Glory Peters
When Joe Mitchner Pβ21 walked into his first Parent Leadership Council (PLC) event at 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ, he already had plenty of extraprofessional claims on his time. A seasoned volunteer, this father of twin 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ seniors could have easily seen adding 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ to his plate as too much. Fortuitously, he took a different view.
βHaving volunteered with our kidsβ schools for years, I knew I wanted to engage with 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ some way, but I wasnβt 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 familyβs transition to 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪβI thought it would be a cool group to be a part of,β he explains. βPlus, PLCβs vision of growing the 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ community in fun ways, with an eye to benefiting current and future 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ students, really resonated with me.β
Recently named 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ’ H. Mac and Michele-Anne Riley Pβ18 Parent Volunteer of the Year, Mitchner is one of the many who make up the Collegeβs vibrant mosaic of family volunteers. These families have a direct hand in shaping student lifeβwhether through groups like PLC, comprised of parents who support the College through personal philanthropy and opening their networks to 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ studentsβor through the multiple volunteer opportunities open to parents throughout the year.
βIn 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,β says Casey Crosbie, 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪβ director of parent engagement, adding that parents can also have a hand in studentsβ career development. Families can network with the 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ community on , the Collegeβs exclusive social media platform, or can even partner with 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪβ Career Planning & Resources office to offer internships, career exploration treks, and other professional opportunities to students.
51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ family volunteers at a pre-pandemic student care package party
As Mitchner observes, creating these avenues for students is critical for 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ as a smaller liberal arts collegeβand something parent volunteers are uniquely equipped to do.
βParents have the ability to help grow the College community, elevate the 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ name around the country, and alleviate some of the obstacles our graduates face as they build their careers,β he says. βAs a womenβs college with a close-knit community, itβs important that 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ continues to take advantage of our connections and put them to work for past, current, and future students.β
51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ 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 studentβs refunded room and board back to 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪβa 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.
βOur familiesβ philanthropy and willingness to foster a supportive college experience through volunteering is unquestionably powerful,β says Crosbie. βThey are essential ingredients for what makes 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ so unique.β
With COVID-19 restrictions finally loosening, 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ is preparing to welcome its community back to campusβin 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.
β51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ is a tremendous findβsolid academics, engaged students, a hidden gem of a campus. Those were the reasons I volunteer with the PLC, and itβs given me a more overarching picture of what our girls have experienced. But Iβve also gotten to develop my own connection to 51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ,β he says. βThe 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!β
51ΑΤΖζΘλΏΪ 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.