June 9, 2026

On Saturday, May 30, Bennington College sent another 222 graduates into the world: a total of 192 students received the Bachelor of Arts degree, 14 received the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and 16 received the Masters of Fine Arts degree.

And so it begins. I look forward to welcoming these newest alumni to our community at events this summer and beyond.

Summer doesn’t mean quiet on campus. Au contraire. We’re already in the midst of our MFA in Writing and our MA in Mental Health Counseling residency programs. Next will be the Middlebury College language programs, and then, in August, a week of summer classes. Check out this year’s three classes. Housing on campus is available (along with an alumni discount). Come back to school for a week!

My summer? Well, I’m working with the newly formed Alumni Association Executive Committee to plan gatherings this summer and into the fall—including events to welcome our new president. Like you, I am eagerly awaiting news of the appointment! Keep an eye out for invites in your inbox and on social media.

Before that, expect gentle reminders to update your contact information. This month, we discontinued the Bennington Connects platform, which served as an online directory and a digital way for alumni to mentor students and connect with other alumni. 

We are excited to announce the upcoming launch of a new platform in early 2027 and hope to see increased participation in alumni networking and student mentorship opportunities as we continue building a more connected Bennington community with the new Alumni Association.

One of the major advantages of the new platform is that it will bring the student and alumni experience together in one place. Students will use the platform to search for on-campus jobs, apply for Field Work Term opportunities, connect with mentors, and build professional networks. After graduation, they will remain on the platform to connect with fellow alumni, explore job opportunities, and engage with the broader Bennington alumni community. I’ll have updates in the fall.

In the meantime, my office and the new Alumni Association are asking alumni to update their contact information or confirm that the information we have on file is accurate. This will be essential as having up-to-date information will ensure we can keep you connected to other alumni in your region and hear about what's going on in the broader Bennington community. Please update your contact information, current employment, and job title using this form.

If you’d like to connect with other alumni professionally, we invite you to join the Bennington Alumni LinkedIn Group. Current students are also being invited to join this group to connect with alumni about mentoring, as well as Field Work Term and job opportunities.

If you have any suggestions on how we can improve upon the online directory or communicating with alumni, please email me.

If you are an artist who would like to share upcoming performances, readings, or gallery openings with the alumni community, email Alumni Relations so we can add it to the monthly Alumni Newsletter.

Life After Bennington

A note of thanks to the alumni (and students) who took part in this term’s pilot course, Life After Bennington. The course was a success, and it will become a regular feature in the curriculum going forward—as long as I can wrangle enough alumni to present. 

For alumni who can attend on campus and spend the day/night, we also have dinner or lunch with students. I can usually nab you a room on campus or put you up off-campus, too. I’m planning the next iteration of this course for the fall, so If you’d like to present in a future class, email me. We can accommodate both Zoom and in-person participation. The fall class will be on Wednesday afternoons from October 21 to December 9. 

A huge thanks to this year’s alumni presenters: Kaiya Kirk ’20, Will Greer ’24, Jackie Sedlock ’96, Wyatt Kirby ’10, Rafe Churchill ’91, Dania Clarke ’15, Shawn Paper ’90, Christopher Bishop ’72, Audre Wirtanen ’17, Brooks Ashmanskas ’91, Jeff Williams ’91, and Adnan Ifthekar ’97.

A special thanks to Dean of Faculty John Bullock for being a thought partner and co-teacher and to the 26 students who participated. We learned a lot from alumni and student feedback, and the next iteration will be even better!

Finally, if you’re ever in the neighborhood, let me know, and I’d be happy to treat you to lunch in the Dining Hall and spend time with you on our beautiful campus.

 

Onward,

Shay Totten '91
Director of Alumni & Constituent Engagement