Every year, the Connecticut College Alumni Board honors several alumni during the Alumni Convocation event over Reunion Weekend by presenting them with the Alumni Awards. These awards celebrate your classmates for their service to Connecticut College, distinguished personal or professional accomplishments, or commitment to improving their communities. This year, we will recognize alumni with class years ending in 0s or 5s.
Join us to honor them at Reunion Weekend during the Alumni Convocation on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 11:15 a.m. in the new Athey Center for Performance and Research at Palmer Auditorium. All are welcome!
Their dedication and achievements are truly inspiring, and we are proud to call them Connecticut College Alumni!
The Mach Arom ’89 Award honors young alumni for service to Connecticut College and for distinguished achievements in their professional field or in society. The award is named in honor of Mach Arom who died of a heart attack in Rwanda while on a humanitarian mission for the International Rescue Committee. Mach is remembered for his service to his class and Connecticut College and the ways in which he carried out everything he did with intense commitment, strong presence, attention to detail and unbelievable energy.
Manager, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Fried Frank
My thoughts on being a Camel:
Conn truly prepares students for a globalized world and shapes us to be changemakers. As I mentioned, I attribute my professional journey to everything I learned at Conn. As a student, I fell in love with diversity, equity, and inclusion and made it my life's work.
The Agnes Berkeley Leahy Award, established in 1961, honors alumni who have contributed outstanding service, demonstrated by continued interest in the Alumni Association and sustained active participation in class, club or Board of Directors activities. Agnes Berkeley Leahy, Class of 1921, served as president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors twice and was a member of the Board of Trustees for ten years.
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Director of Client Development, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
Dedication to paying it forward:
I look back over a 30-year career built on the foundation that Conn provided, and I am compelled to help other Conn students and grads find their unique paths. For over 20 years, I have mentored and advised many Conn students and graduates regarding their career development, including directing some individuals to specific job opportunities that helped shape their careers.
The Harriet Buescher Lawrence ’34 Prize recognizes alumni who are leaders in improving society or inspiring others for good, either through direct service or through changing the climate of human life materially, socially, ethically or spiritually. Harriet Buescher Lawrence spent the last years of her life increasingly involved with charitable activities and in support of higher education.
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President and CEO of St. David's Foundation
How my Conn experience shaped me:
At Conn College, I not only found my voice, discovered who I am, and flourished, but I began to develop the self-confidence to take on difficult challenges and not fear failure.
The Goss Award recognizes alumni who, through their enthusiastic participation in programs and activities, have made a significant contribution to the Connecticut College community. This award was established by Cassandra Goss Simonds ’55. Cassandra served in a wide range of positions as a student and as an alumna, including as class president and as president of the Alumni Association Board or Directors.
Sales and Merchandising Executive
What inspires you to give back to the Connecticut College community?:
My liberal arts education is the foundation of all I do. I was fortunate enough to experience Conn, and I'd like to pay it forward.
The Alumni Tribute Award, established in 1986, honors an alumna or alumnus who has given sustained and extraordinary service to the College. Service must be in keeping with the purposes and spirit of the Alumni Association, but it doesn’t have to be given through the Association. Nominees cannot be currently employed by the College or members of the Association’s Board of Directors. Nominees must be approved by the Board. The award is presented annually to a member of a Reunion class during the Annual Meeting of the Alumni Association.
Retired, Vice President, Intelligence Alliances and Product Unification, Pharma Intelligence
President and Founder, North River Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc.
Looking back with gratitude:
I was a scholarship student from an inner city high school. My experience at Connecticut College was life-altering. I was exposed to art, music, and science - what an amazing liberal arts education! I was able to pursue my love of science in amazing labs with great professors. Conn gave me the confidence to reach out for goals and challenges that I wanted to accomplish.
Retired, Counsel, McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Conn’s lasting impression:
My experience and time at Conn gave me the confidence to believe in myself and believe that I could succeed at whatever I chose.
The Unity Award recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond in their contributions toward promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in their personal and professional lives.
Deputy Chief of the Charities Bureau in the office of the New York State Attorney General's Charities Bureau
Fond memories of Conn?
The education I received there and the lasting friendships I made - e.g., every year since 1961, my roommates and I, now in our eighties, have exchanged holiday gifts.