Meet our community. See yourself here.
As one student says, “It feels like a sample population of the world, like little pieces of cities around the globe have migrated onto campus.”
Our community is also surprisingly like-minded — in the best of ways. We are inquisitive, inclusive and encouraging. Reflective. Expressive. Approachable. We make change.
Meet some of us who call the Mount Holyoke community home. MoHome.
Nathania Amadi ’26
Lagos, Nigeria
Nathania Amadi ’26, Mount Holyoke graduating senior and president of the Student Government Association, rose to leadership positions after making connections in the lab, the classroom and residence halls.
Kaylee Clarke ’26
Kaylee Clarke ’26 stepped outside her comfort zone when she came to Mount Holyoke College — but this senior is now comfortable in trying new things, such as having a second major in math and pursuing a Ph.D. in industrial engineering.
Sophia-Emma Eddy ’26
In her first semester at Mount Holyoke College, senior Sophia-Emma Eddy ’26 thought she had everything mapped out. But then came a journey of discovery that revealed ways for her to step out of her comfort zone.
J Farrington ’26
Mount Holyoke College had everything that senior J Farrington ’26 was looking for, including a psychology program that could be an intellectual home.
Julia Keane ’26
Julia Keane ’26 didn’t always see herself as a leader. Fortunately, her time at Mount Holyoke College proved her wrong.
Mahira Mim ’26
During her time at Mount Holyoke College, senior Mahira Mim ’26 has become a chemistry powerhouse thanks to the mentoring she received and the community that supported her.
Yeslee Neris ’26
Mount Holyoke senior Yeslee Neris ’26 grew from someone who wanted to transfer during her first year to someone who will be studying nursing at Johns Hopkins University, and she also convinced her sister to study at the College.
Manu Ribas ’26
Senior Manu Ribas ’26 has had a Mount Holyoke College journey marked by trying new things in the classroom, in the laboratory and in the community. All of these experiences deepened her relationship with her peers and her scholarly interests.
Kate Vavra ’26
Kate Vavra ’26 learned so much during her journey at Mount Holyoke College, and she says she truly understands all the things she’s capable of.
Shiqi Belinda Zhu ’26
Encouraged by her family to become a leader, Mount Holyoke senior Shiqi Belinda Zhu ’26 has grown comfortable with discourse and knows that ambition doesn’t have to mean competition.
Naomi Brown
Naomi Brown ’21/ MAT ’25 discusses her growth as a teacher and a person during her time in the master’s program for teacher leadership.
Aby Soumare
Minneapolis, MN
“I’ve found that no matter what, everyone working on this campus wants you to succeed.”
Cindie Huerta-Velazquez
Chicago, IL
“We all have different friend groups, but once a week we come together to talk about anything and everything. We intentionally make that time and effort to be together.”
Cynthia Obianuju Akanaga
Imo, Nigeria
“Mount Holyoke changed my life. I’ve always been afraid of making the wrong choice, but being here helped me put that fear into a positive light.”
Emmanuella Umoye
Lagos, Nigeria
“When I got my acceptance letter from Mount Holyoke, it felt like I was being introduced to a community that genuinely wanted me to be part of it.”
Grace Jaeeun Lee
Los Angeles, CA
“Mount Holyoke has a very collaborative community, a very accepting environment, which helped with [my] confidence. Even if I bring just a little to the table, I know my peers will have my back.”
Hailee Pitschke
Torrance, CA
“I’m really grateful that Mount Holyoke offered opportunities to explore niche topics in fields I am interested in. It helped nail down key academic interests.”
From founding a law journal to landing a judicial fellowship
Marley Berano
Litchfield, CT
“I was looking for a place to grow [and] challenge myself but also to have a social life or work on the side while not losing my sport at the same time.”
Mars Bickford
Biddeford, ME
“I don’t think I would have felt that I could explore my personal gender identity anywhere else,” they said.
Mayan Caplan
Denver, CO
“It’s not just that everyone is really open and willing to connect; it’s that everyone is dazzlingly interesting, and I want to be in community with them.”
Rachel Katzenberg
Reisterstown, MD
“At Mount Holyoke, I 100% found a good community … a large community that wants to help me and see me succeed.”
Sander Ivanenko
Lexington, MA
“If it weren’t for Mount Holyoke and the environment and professors and students, I never would have gone into science.”
Viviana Guerra
Chicago, IL
“One thing I have loved about Mount Holyoke is that I have had the opportunity to explore whatever I wanted. I never felt like I was stuck in a box.”
Yunwei Ni
Wuxi, China
“Mount Holyoke gave me the sense that everyone has the opportunity to go anywhere they want to go.”
Learning English, economics and independence all at the same time
Shanthini Ragoonaden ’24
Mauritius
“I remember my first semester, I told my first-year advisor, [Assistant] Professor Marie Ozanne, ‘I want to do something that I haven't done before.’”
Adji Diouf ’24
Arlington, VA
“I definitely feel like I’ve really built such a great community here. Besides my lab and my team, I have made so many friends from different classes and different events. I feel like my community is so large here.”
Siggy Ehrlich ’26
Columbia, MD
My favorite part of the preparation process was creating labels for the small, 17-object exhibition featuring Paradis, other blind musicians and accessibility for the blind.
Sabrina Farrar ’24
Ramsey, NJ
“My politics professors were huge points of support for me and helped me determine what I wanted to do in the space policy field. Being able to present my work to people working in the industry as an underclassman was awesome.”
Steph Maldonado
Los Angeles, California
“Residence life has been a big part of creating a home for students and showing them that this is their home away from home.”
Lupe Antonio Lopez
Los Angeles, California
“I did an overnight stay with some current students. Everyone was so welcoming. That’s part of the reason I ended up applying to Mount Holyoke.”
Aimée Eubanks Davis ’95
“When I came to Mount Holyoke College, I felt at peace.”
Sami Parazin
Westwood, Massachusetts
“I really fell in love with the idea of a [women’s college that’s gender diverse] as a safe place. I really liked that there was a place where I didn’t necessarily have to compete with the male population to be heard.”
Azuna Sawada
Tokyo, Japan
“I feel like I have sisters all over the place. There are strong connections at Mount Holyoke. … I was impressed with how helpful people are here.”
Tara Roberts ’91
“Mount Holyoke was the place where I was really validated as a leader and as someone who had something to contribute.”
Lucy Anderson
Andover, Minnesota
“I’m getting a good education from Mount Holyoke that’s preparing me academically for whatever I do in the future.”
Alyxander Burns ’17
Lecturer in Computer Science
"I love the environment of small liberal arts colleges and the opportunity to get to know students.”
Mei Fujimori-Henderson
Bremerton, Washington
“Mount Holyoke taught me a lot about how important it is to listen to and work with others.”
Wil Abam-DePass
Brooklyn, NY
“I chose Mount Holyoke because of the community.”
Iyana Alleyne
Bridgetown, Barbados
“Mount Holyoke checked all the boxes for me.”
Sophia Smith
Marblehead, Massachusetts
“I chose Mount Holyoke because it is a liberal arts education where I don't have to sacrifice one [passion] in order to pursue the other.”
Michaela Flanders
South Berwick, Maine
“[Mount Holyoke professors] create an environment in which students want to succeed, and they are wonderful role models of who I aspire to be as a professional.”
Chisato Kimura
Lawrence, Kansas
“[Mount Holyoke has] pushed me to demand justice for others, and they’ve shown me what true advocacy for other communities looks like.”
Aiesha Thomas
Bronx, New York
“Mount Holyoke truly made me feel like I was part of the community.”
Charu Sharma ’14
India
“Mount Holyoke really nurtures you to appreciate your uniqueness.”
Kelechi Ezeugwu
Rural Massachusetts
“There's acceptance on so many levels here.”
Elena Frogameni
Florence, Massachusetts
“The Rhodes Scholarship feels like a continuation of my time at Mount Holyoke. I have the support of the Mount Holyoke community, a community that knew me and valued me as a scholar and a person.”
Lucas Wilson
Professor of Africana Studies and Economics
“My principal goal is to learn who it is I'm teaching and figure out what they care about, what interests them, and how I can be supportive of them to follow that passion.”
Mara Kleinberg
Brooklyn, New York
“Mount Holyoke is a really special place. I’ve been able to find true community here through Mount Holyoke jazz vocals, radio and even by working with a local theater company.”
Amy Shiying Wang
Beijing, China
“I chose Mount Holyoke because I heard about this magical place and how nice the people and professors are.”
Marta Sabariego
Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and Behavior
“I try to empower my students to know that if they work hard, they can achieve their goals. I try to translate my passion for what I do to them and motivate them to follow their dreams.”
Paige Osborne
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“I had a lot of ideas but I didn’t know how to make space for them. I do here. I have become a more genuine version of myself.”
Kylie Gellatly
Cornwall, CT
“Mount Holyoke offers full scholarships, and are proud to have a nontraditional student population.”
Olivia Aguilar
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
“Environmental and science learning communities can be very exclusive. How they can be more inclusive of groups that are traditionally marginalized?”
Alice Capson ’71
Kansas City Metro, Kansas
“I feel I’m part of the legacy of making sure ‘Mount Holyoke forever shall be’ by strengthening our alum bonds and publicizing the College.”
Shayn Keiter-Massefski
Sharon, Massachusetts
“I love how easy it has been for me to make connections and form relationships. I am grateful for those connections, both as friendships and mentorships.”
Sommer Byers
Marblehead, Massachusetts
“Everyone here inspires me to push beyond what I thought possible, question assumptions, envision a better world. My peers are formidable and inspiring.”
Allie Brown
Burlington, Vermont
“At Mount Holyoke, people really want to see you succeed, just like you want to see them succeed.”
Sarah Stefana Smith
Assistant Professor of Gender Studies
“Mount Holyoke is at the forefront of rethinking a women’s college by including trans students. Historical moments are where amazing coalitions emerge.”
Tarana Bhatia ’15
Washington, D.C.
“I entered very shy but was taught to think critically and gained confidence. Every action I take is because the College shaped me.”
Yun-Hsuan “Melody” Su
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
“I’m grateful to my professors who encouraged me and sparked my passion for robotics. I love to be in that role now, inspiring students.”
Muyun (Charlotte) Wang
Yichang, China
“This is the place where I can really let my voice be heard by other people, where I can figure out my potential as a woman, and as a woman of color.”
Luisa Linares
Miami, Florida
“During COVID I felt very lost, like, what do I do now. There was no sense of familiarity. Going back to a CBL program helped me think back to a time where things weren’t as crazy.”
Alexya Lee
North Chelmsford, Massachusetts
“I originally wanted to major in environmental studies but I took a geology course first.”
Kuzivakwashe Madungwe
Harare, Zimbabwe
“Playing squash challenged me to push myself beyond what I thought I could achieve as an athlete. The whole student-athlete experience has been amazing.”
Anh Hoang-Lindsay ’06
Boston, Massachusetts
“My volunteering for the College is very personal. It opened up many opportunities for me.”
Benjamin Gebre-Medhin
Assistant Professor of Sociology
“Mount Holyoke is one of the places that represents most faithfully and excitingly the liberal arts ethos.”
Skylar Hou
Beijing, China
“To me, Mount Holyoke has always been more than just a place, it’s about the people here and the memories we create together.”
Shanze Hasan
Karachi, Pakistan
“I can confirm that the thing Mount Holyoke students look forward to most on the weekdays — after a never-ending day of classes, work and commitments — is M&Cs (milk and cookies).”
David Hernández
Associate Professor of Latina/o Studies
“I've thoroughly enjoyed teaching these students. It's really just a tremendous experience.”
Hannah Pozzebon
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
“Every internship I’ve ever gotten has been through the alum network. If students asked me for advice, I would say to really use that. It has worked for me 100% of the time.”
Cory Mahlstedt
Tolland, Connecticut
“Since I started school here, I’ve befriended people from all walks of life, with various interests, talents and passions. People who hold fascinating, diverse narratives to listen to and learn from. Athletes, hippies, artists, political activists, poets, musicians and any other label you may identify as is represented here — there truly isn’t one archetype.”
Neorgia Grant
Kingston, Jamaica
“Mount Holyoke has helped me understand my self-worth. I’m becoming the student, the woman I’ve always envisioned myself to be.”
Sara Sarmiento
Miami, Florida
“I’d been doing community service, but everything I cared about socially centered on politics. That’s when I thought I would study international relations.”
K. J. Lewis
Pleasantville, New York
“When I mentioned studying in Japan to my Japanese professor, Professor of Asian Studies Naoko Nemoto, she gave me a list of potential summer programs.”
Michelle Serrano (right)
Los Angeles, California
“Mount Holyoke empowers women to be fearless and gives them the tools necessary to achieve their goals in or out of the classroom. The professors are beyond phenomenal and truly care about the success of students.”
Morgan Turner
Chester, New Jersey
“For me and my 21 teammates, the changing of the seasons is also accompanied by 5-ounce solid plastic balls. Field hockey balls, to be exact.”
David Sanford
Elizabeth T. Kennan Professor of Music
“I learn from my students all the time.”
Madeline Fitzgerald
Hebron, Connecticut
“There is not just one category of LGBTQ+ people here. There is, no pun intended, every color of the rainbow: Athletes, nerds, partiers and artists are all represented in our thriving community.”
Jai Pemmaraju (left)
Iowa City, Iowa
“I’m part of Asian American Students in Action and we represent the ACE house. Being part of the AASIA has really provided me with a sense of community.”
Marisol Fernandez
Miami, Florida
“At Mount Holyoke, we have a very philanthropic sense of thinking. We always want to find a way to give back and make things better. I think that’s not typical at other institutions. Here, the liberal arts give a deeper way of looking at things, but also a wider way. You think of the repercussions, the history, the individual.”
Donari Yahzid
Atlanta, Georgia
“I knew that if I attended Mount Holyoke, I would be so proud of the person I would become.”
Tess Tuitoek
Nairobi, Kenya
“The Shirley Chisholm Living-Learning Community and The Betty Shabazz Center are where I’ve made friends and family for life.”
Virginia Guerra
Miami, Florida
“As a Cuban American from Miami, Florida, I was slightly terrified at the thought of moving to a place that had this concept of ‘negative degrees.’”
Lexi Lobdell
Portola Valley, California
“As a first-year student, I was intimidated to suggest that I could conduct an experiment with horses. However, Professor Breen smiled at me, asked a few questions and informed me that she would talk to Professor Patel at dinner about how Tufts and Mount Holyoke could collaborate to conduct a joint project.”
Jessie Maier
Rahway, New Jersey
“Shoutout to the Office of Spiritual and Religious Life and Jewish Student Union! As a student of faith, it’s important to find support and community during the religious holidays that I can’t celebrate with family.”
Kate Meacham (second from left)
Evansville, Indiana
“The entrepreneurship club is a great place for people to connect who are interested in changing the world by starting their own businesses.”
Sarah Paust
Southeast Florida
“The Outing Club has shown me time and again that the only obstacle standing in my way is my own hesitation.”
Lisa Garrity
Longmeadow, Massachusetts
“I needed a strong liberal arts academic program that would challenge me and allow me to take a wide range of courses. I needed a supportive environment with small classes that would encourage my introverted self to speak up. I needed Mount Holyoke.”
Regina Carey
Belmont, Massachusetts
“A large part of the Mount Holyoke experience is taking advantage of all that the Pioneer Valley — the beautiful region where Mount Holyoke is situated — has to offer.”
Chloe Jensen
Eugene, Oregon
“Shoutout to Mount Holyoke News! Being surrounded by intelligent, eloquent students who publish great work every week has impacted me in every positive way.”
Relyn Myrthil
Miami, Florida
“Renaissance School is a remarkable opportunity. I get to show other students how amazing art is, how accessible it can be to anyone.”
What will your Mount Holyoke experience be?
Hear some of our students discuss some of their favorite aspects of the Mount Holyoke experience in these 1:1 conversations.
