Mary Lyon's Legacy: Pass It On!

A new program designed to let current students share their love of the College with prospective MHC students was announced in President Joanne Creighton's convocation address.

In the "Mary Lyon Legacy Program," each current student will receive a certificate worth the price of an admissions application fee. These are to be passed on to high school seniors considering attending MHC, as well as to potential Frances Perkins Scholars and potential transfer students. Each certificate will be accompanied by a personal note to the potential student explaining why the giver thinks she would thrive here. Applicants using this program will be evaluated by the admissions office equally with all other candidates.

The purpose, Creighton explained, is "to engender more contact between potential and current Mount Holyoke students," which will, in turn, build more interest in the College among prospective students. Calling students "our best ambassadors to the outside world," Creighton asked them to help get the word out about Mount Holyoke. "We know it is recognized as one of the finest liberal arts colleges in the world," she said, "but not all high school students know Mount Holyoke....You understand the power of this place."

The unusual program was instituted, Creighton said, because she was deeply affected by the loyalty MHC students display for the College, and wanted to help them encourage others to share their positive experiences. It was named for the College's founder and will begin this academic year to honor the 200th anniversary of Mary Lyon's birth on February 28, 1797.

Word-of-mouth was the first method used to spread word of the education offered to women at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, and it remains one of the most powerful ways to let others know about the educational institution that our founder's inspiration started.