Whittier’s Poet4Life Tour gathered together Poets past and future in Southern California last weekend to connect with the college and each other.
A good turnout and camaraderie created an invigorating sense of Poet pride, said Office of Alumni Relations Director Ana Gutierrez.
“It was an opportunity for alumni to network and incoming students to get a taste of campus life while mingling with faculty, staff and families,” Gutierrez said. “They had the chance to discover more about today’s Whittier and where the school is headed in the future.”
While reflecting and reminiscing on the value of the Whittier College education, guests also enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and heard brief remarks from new Interim President Kristine E. Dillon ’73. Joe McCarthy ’97 hosted the July 8 event at Whittier’s Villalobos Hall while Krystal Anderson ’14 was the host for the July 9 stop at Perla Mexican Cuisine in downtown Santa Ana.
Gutierrez noted that there was a great turnout of enthusiastic Poets — in addition to representation from faculty and staff — eager to learn ways to engage and support students. The palpable excitement for the future carried over to the incoming class.
“One of the students drove from San Diego to this event in Whittier to meet her roommate,” Gutierrez said. “They had a day plan of activities to get together.”
Patty Hill ’98, who attended Saturday’s event, still lives and works in Whittier as a physical education teacher. She also liked seeing the first-year students attend, as well as the reconnection among alumni.
“It was a great outing,” Hill said. “It kind of rekindled a light in the love that went missing for a while.”
The tour is headed next to New York City on July 20 and ends in Seattle on Aug. 13. To learn more about how to get involved with alumni events, visit the alumni relations page, email alumni@whittier.edu or call 562.907.4222.
Poets are encouraged to show their school spirit again for Homecoming weekend on Oct. 6-8.
