Introduction

RS: Hi, this is Robin Sparkman, Wellesley class of ’91 and StoryCorps CEO. At StoryCorps, we believe in preserving and sharing humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. As a part of that vital work, we partnered with Wellesley College since 2015 to record over 50 stories with alumnae, students, faculty, and other members of the unique Wellesley Community.  Today, we’re going to hear three stories that begin to explore all the ways Wellesley women are making a difference. I hope you enjoy hearing these voices from the Wellesley community.

Deborah and Shannon

DB: I am Deborah Sager Burnbagh. I’m 52 years old, class of Wellesley 1987.

SL: My name is Shannon Langston, I’m also 52. And we are dear, dear friends since the first day of school. I really enjoyed all female. No matter what, whether it’s subconscious or not, I think that when you mix guys, girls, you worry about what you’re gonna wear to class maybe, things like that. I don’t think we had to worry about that. I have friends that have daughters, they’re in big state colleges, they won’t raise their hand.

DB: In class.

SL: Because, you know, it’s just completely contrary to what we learned.

DB: I learned that every leader was a woman.

SL: That’s right.

DB: And so to me, learning that women could do all those leadership roles, was really transformative. And when I left and worked on Wall Street after college, its only because there was a Wellesley woman, they called it Wall Street Warmup, and you used to follow alumns around in their jobs, and it makes younger women think, "I can do that!" And so for me, that single-sex environment was really what created seeing leaders who look like me.

SL: Right.

DB: So after you left Wellesley, fast-forward to your job and how did what you learned at Wellesley help inform how you are today?

SL: I went to Emery, graduated from law school, studied for the bar, and became Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, then went from that into District Judge, and, I might say, handedly beat several men in several different elections.

DB: There you go, you go girl!

SL: Was it 2009, we were all together, I think we were in Park City, and we were at a restaurant. Just a table full of women and I sat back and listened and you were talking about investment banking and politics and how things were affecting the global economy, and I said, "You know what, you girls, you ladies, y’all could rule the world." And I really, I meant that. I said, "Y’all could rule the world."

DB: It is amazing that leadership is the only option. It’s sort of what we were taught. It’s not an option, it’s the only option, in whatever you do. You just need to do everything to your fullest. That’s sort of what Wellesley brought out in us.

Desiree and Alexa

AR: This is Alexa Rice, I’m 27 years old, and I am here with Desiree Rogers, my aunt. So what was your experience like on campus?

DR: I’d never gone to a school that had as much diversity as Wellesley did in my whole life. The high school I went to literally had eight African Americans. So this was very different for me, not to mention all the nationalities and all the international students. And then just all of the students from all over the country.

AR: Sometimes even though a place is diverse, a lot people tend to stay to themselves. Did you find that Wellesley was an inclusive place? Where it was easy to meet people outside of the normal people you would’ve met?

DR: My roommate had never met a black person. So that was a little bit intense, not for me, but for her. There certainly was quite a bit of opportunity whether it be in the dorms, or your next door neighbor or whatever, to mix and mingle with whoever was around. But I think people tended to stick together with people that more looked like them. Just because I think they were comfortable. Especially at the beginning.

AR: Yes, I think that’s probably normal for everywhere. Given that Wellesley is such a great supporter and champion of all women’s causes, do you feel that they did an equal job in supporting women of color? Cause, at least I found when I was in college, there’s a different kind of burden put on someone who is both female and a minority. Especially when you get out of the workplace. So have you noticed that the Wellesley effect has had a positive impact on you as a woman and also as a woman of color?

DR: I would say two things. Wellesley can be such a positive place. Doesn’t mean every experience is positive, but they’re always are very open to let’s figure out, let’s talk about it, we don’t all have to agree. It’s a very safe place in that you don’t feel like the college is necessarily judging you. That’s not real life. The world is not that. People could take offense to what you have to say. Some people will not like your opinions. Some people will not like just the mere fact that you are female or minority, and you have to be prepared for that.

AR: I can’t think of any other place that is as open and as accepting as Wellesley. For me, I think, it is tricky when you leave Wellesley and go into a work environment where it’s not as accepting, but at the same time, I found that the freedom Wellesley gave me to express myself helped me to do the same thing in many other environments. Even when I knew the odds were stacked against me because they didn’t like the fact that I was a woman, that I was a black woman especially. And that’s the thing I think you really can only find at a place like Wellesley.

DR: Having gone to Wellesley prepared me to be fearless. And certainly not to fear my peer set just because they happen to be male. That’s why I think the Wellesley is so good. Because it really teaches you, if you pay attention, confidence, courage, all of those things that are so important that will be voices in your head as you move through your life.

Diana and Lulu

DCW: My name is Diana Chapman Walsh. I am 71 years old.

LCW: My name is Lulu Chow Wong. I’m also 71 years old.

DCW: The first thing I want to say is thank you. You know, when I was a candidate for the presidency of Wellesley College, I felt your support from the minute I walked in the room and every minute thereafter. You were such an important trustee. When I came in to the presidency, the tradition had always been that a male trustee chaired the investment committee and ran the endowment. These wonderful men from Boston who saw this jewel of a college, understood how important it was, and contributed their time to helping make it strong and healthy, and the idea was men knew how to do money and the women would do the things women know how to do, historically. The educational mission and all of that. And it became clear that we were at a moment when we now had enough women who were really sophisticated about investments, they had been on the investment committee, but we still had male leadership of that committee. And I remember that there was a very delicate piece of work we did, just gently without ruffling any feathers, but recognizing, okay, it’s time. And you then became the first woman chair of the investment committee, if I’m not mistaken, didn’t you?

LCW: Yes. Yeah. And I think the lesson taken from that is that when you are dealing with people, particularly men of good will, but you’re going to be doing something that they may feel uncomfortable with, you need to judge them by their good will, rather than there being obstacles. And you learn to work with them. And working with them from inside the system is far more effective and graceful than trying to storm the ramparts. If you trust that they want to achieve the same objectives of excellence for the institution, then you all work together and you’re truly comrades together. And having that objective in common makes things much easier.

DCW: And that’s the way the transition went.

LCW: Also I was very keenly aware that the senior staff of the investment team were all women, and they were very closely watching what was going on. Here there was this first woman on this investment committee with all heavyweight men, and they were seeing how I was going to maneuver. You were mentoring. And I look back on what were the things we felt we accomplished the most. I think, in my life, it’s when a young woman often comes up to me and say, "Oh, you made such a difference. I learned so much just watching what you were doing. Now I can figure out how I navigate my own career." And so I’ve had a number of those young women come up and say, "Lulu, it’s just amazing. You bided your time, you’ve proved your worth, and you absolutely came out on top." It was a lesson that they’d learned that patience and assuming good will is a very important presumption. It’s wonderful to see the young ones coming behind us.

DCW: Oh, it’s everything. That’s what gives me hope.

LCW: It is wonderful to see their idealism.

DCW: It is.

LCW: And I’m sure they’ll keep much of it. They’ll learn some lessons from we old warhorses, and we comrades in the trenches, but they will always keep that idealism.